The Music of the Night
by random scribbler
Summary: Paris, 1870. Bella is an undiscovered soprano at the Opera Populaire, Jacob is the new patron of the opera house, and most people call Edward the Phantom of the Opera. Let the music begin. ExB, AU but not AH.
1. Prologue: The Auction

**The Music of the Night**

**Prologue**

**The Auction**

_Paris, 1920_

The Opera Populaire is no longer the great opera house that it once was. The only glory that remains is in the echoes that still whisper to her from the distant past … has it truly been fifty years? It seems impossible. Impossible when she can stand here looking at that dirty, gray stage and remember it bright and colorful, full of music and dance and beauty as though it was only yesterday.

It seems completely absurd that time has gone by so fast. And now the only testament to the grandeur that was once the Opera Populaire lies in the pieces of junkbeing auctioned off to make a profit for the city.

She looks at her husband and wonders why she wanted to come in the first place. The sight of the opera house so tarnished and blackened should not corrupt the bright, happy memories that lie here. Her husband won't return her gaze. He is looking at their faded surroundings, assuredly just as hurt by the dust and cobwebs and rotted fabric as she is.

She turns her attention to the auctioneer. So far, all that has gone up for sale are old posters advertising operas of the past and ancient pieces of scenery. She wonders who would ever buy such things. Even she wouldn't stoop so low as to clutter her house with useless items and she had come here searching for some small slice of physical memory.

It is then that she hears a melody that makes her stand immediately to attention. She stares at the auctioneer in shock as he holds up a music box that is shaped like a monkey wearing robes from the far east and clapping together cymbals to the rhythm of the song.

This, this was why she had come. Until this instant, she hadn't known that this music box was what she had been looking for, but it was true. She remembered that melody.

Fifty years ago, the girl that she had thought of as a sister had vanished below the opera house. When she had returned, it had been with that song constantly on her lips. There had been other songs as well, of course. That remembered girl had come back to the surface full of music. She can barely remember the other songs, though, and this is the one that now tinkles through the opera house as though it were fifty years earlier. She tries to remember the lyrics, but it has been fifty years and all she can recall is the first line, "Masquerade …"

She meets her husband's eyes and she can tell that he remembers as well. He smiles at her lightly, and she is briefly amazed that she can find a 70-year-old man so unbelievably handsome.

Then the auctioneer calls for bids and she raises her number right away, not even bothering to listen to the amount that was asked for. It is a piece of junk to most people, not worth anything. But, to her, it is priceless. She is confident that she will get it without contest.

On this, however, she is wrong. As quickly as she bid first, a man on the other side of the opera house follows her bid. There aren't many people here, so she is able to see him if she stretches. She does so, trying to see who would bid on this forgotten music box with no meaning to anyone other than her. Meanwhile, she raises her number and the bid, still trying to get her piece of memory.

She realizes who is on the other side of the theater at the same time as her husband whispers her name. He has obviously realized it too. _Oh._ She thinks. _Well, perhaps …_

She meets his eyes from across the room. Recognition echoes between them and words and memories flow across, words unecessary.

Her husband mutters, "He needs the memory more, love. Let him have it." She nods absent-mindedly, still lost in the reminiscences of things that happened fifty years ago.

She shakes her head when the auctioneer looks at her for a conflicting bid to the man-across-the-room's. She is disappointed at the loss of the physical representation, but as she gazes around the theater and her eyes come to rest on her husband, she decides that she doesn't need it.

"Let's go home." She whispers in his ear. He nods and they are about to move towards the exit, when the auctioneer begins to talk again.

"And now, you're all in for a special treat. Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera." She stiffens and feels her husband do the same beside her. She spares a glance for the man across the room and he too appears uneasy and upset. "A mystery never fully explained."

She turns slowly to see a large object covered by fabric. It looks uncomfortably like a broken chandelier. She winces as the auctioneer continues to affirm her theory. "We are told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier which figures in the famous disaster. Our workshops have repaired it and wired parts of it for the new electric light. Perhaps we can frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination."

Suddenly, the cloth covering the chandelier is thrown off and the room is dazzlingly, unbelievably bright. She remembers this chandelier so well, even though she had been just seventeen when she last saw it lit up. Then it had been flying far overhead, lighting the best opera house in France.

In the last moments before she completely succumbs to memory, she thinks she sees something. It is out of the corner of her eye and she is still squinting from the sudden light, but she could swear she sees six figures in the shadows, one that stands out especially. The person looks like … it looks like a seventeen-year-old Bella. Just exactly as she had been fifty years ago when all of this had started.

Impossible. It must just be a trick of the light and the memory that is about to envelope her.

**A/N: **Welcome to something I've been working on for a while now! This will be a Twilight fanfiction with songs and some plot taken from the Phantom of the Opera. Don't expect any Phantom characters to be showing up though, and I'm trying to make the characters as much like themselves in the Twilight books as possible. You don't need to know anything about the Phantom of the Opera to read this story, although I highly recommend the movie and musical anyway. Note that this is only the prologue, other chapters won't be as short, in present tense, or mysterious, so don't worry. ;-) Tell me what you think by pressing that button down below! Now go pop in your Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

**Next Time:** We begin our actual story in 1870 with the introduction of two new managers.

**Disclaimer: **I do not claim the rights to anything from _Twilight_ or _The Phantom of the Opera_ those belong to their respective authors, directors, and companies. I'm merely using them for my own enjoyment and for no money. This disclaimer applies to the entire story.


	2. First Impressions

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 1**

**First Impressions**

_**Paris, 1870**_

The brightly lit stage was a barely controlled chaos when the new managers of the Opera Populaire walked in to see their new theater for the first time. Watching two chorus girls collide rather spectacularly was not exactly the best first impression. Not to mention that the screeching noise coming from the throat of the woman standing in front of the mess of costumes and dancers made them both half wish to walk straight back outside again.

_Well_, they both thought, _at least the place is gorgeous, just like they said_. Indeed, the deep red velvet of the chairs, the elaborate gold ornamentation, and the glorious crystal chandelier above their heads all combined to form what was widely considered to be the best opera house in France, perhaps in all the world. If only the scene on stage could reflect the grandeur of the rest of the theater.

William Black, the former manager, looked behind him briefly to see the effect that their diva's singing and the generally less than perfect rehearsal they had walked in on had inflicted upon the new managers of the theater. One glance at their pained expressions and he hastily looked forward again.

_Thank God this place isn't my problem any more. _He thought. The disaster on stage just encouraged him to get this business over with before the new managers were scared off … and not just by the imperfect singing of their diva. William cringed at just the thought of another incident with … well, _him_ … before William managed to escape this god-forsaken opera house.

They made their way up through the seats towards the stage. William avoided looking back at or talking to the men who had bought the Opera Populaire from him. _Just introduce them and get out. _He began to chant in his head, _get out before they can take back their offer_. William realized that this may have sounded a little paranoid to an outsider, but he was about to escape the hell that he had endured for so many years. He was not willing to risk that for anything.

Finally the three men found themselves close enough to the stage for William to end the pandemonium in process there. "Monsieur Claireau!" he called to the director, cutting off the leading lady of their show, mid-song, "So sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to make an announcement."

He climbed onto the stage rather ungracefully and helped the new managers up as well, still avoiding their eyes. Resplendent in elaborate, gold and red costumes, the cast was only partially paying attention to their manager's speech. "I regret to say," he continued, "that all the rumors of my resignation are true."

Whispers flew up from the cast who had deemed this news interesting enough to pay brief attention to, if only for the sake of later gossip. "However, it is with no regret at all that I introduce your new managers. Monsieur Embré Call and Monsieur Quin Ateara."

Quin and Embré soon had the attention of the entire cast, after another flurry of murmurs through the assembled crowd. "Yes," Quin began hesitantly, "it is quite an honor to come and manage your opera house, something that Embré and I have been hoping to do for quite a while now. And, I would like to announce another arrival to the Opera Populaire. It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new patron, the Vicomte de La Pushe!"

Applause and more whispers accompanied his announcement as another man walked on from backstage with a self-assured bravado. He had long, dark hair and a handsome figure that sent the chorus girls into giggles and mutters to their friends.

Jacob managed to calm the theater with just a wave of his hand. "Thank you for your kind welcome. My family and I look forward to sponsoring the famous and world-renowned Opera Populaire." More applause greeted his statement and an elaborately dressed woman stepped forward as though she could no longer handle being left in the background.

She was the unfortunate female lead singer who had been screeching so awfully when they had walked in. She was dressed in an outlandish costume with far too many jewels and details that only enhanced her rather large figure. She offered her hand to the Vicomte, who took it uneasily, obviously also remembering the less than excellent song she had been singing prior to their interruption of the rehearsal. William Black introduced her. "This is Signora Jessica Stanlietto. She has been our lead soprano for the past four years. A true rising star in the opera business."

_And I even managed it with a straight face. _William thought. _Thank god I'm getting out of this place._ Jessica smiled as though trying to be bashful as the Vicomte did the polite thing and kissed her hand.

William then proceeded to introduce the male lead, who was, thankfully, much less offensive. He was of a normal size and an ordinary build, but his elaborate costume of gold and his fake red beard made him rather intimidating anyway. He shook the Vicomte's hand as he was introduced, "And this is Signore Michael Nutonni." His condescending look towards both the new managers and the Vicomte made all three of them lose some of the good feelings they had been harboring towards his handsome face.

"Well," said Jacob hesitantly, "This all looks wonderful and I would love to stay, but I've got quite a bit to do. I'll be here tonight for this triumph of an opera. Good luck to you all."

Harold Claireau, their conductor, took the opportunity to bring the focus back to rehearsals. "People! Let us abandon the mess you were all making of scene three and begin with act two, the first scene. Thank you."

The music began again, and Quin and Embré were pushed to the side of the stage to watch. William was grateful to see that it looked like a scene with just the ballet girls. He was quite proud of the accomplishments of their ballet and chorus. In fact it was only when a certain diva began to sing that one thought about plugging their ears. It was soon evident that Quin and Embré were charmed by the ballet as well, and William heaved a sigh of relief. Thank god. He had been worried that they would listen just once to Jessica's overdone vibrato, turn around and leave.

William suddenly spied an escape. "Ah … there! That is Madame Esme Hale. She is the ballet teacher and controls the dormitories of the chorus girls. You should go talk to her." _While I get out of here as fast as possible, _he thought, but didn't voice that last part.

Quin and Embré both turned to see the woman that William pointed out. She was in her thirties and exceedingly beautiful with honey brown hair that fell in loose curls to her shoulders and blue eyes that seemed to pierce through them. She was dressed in a dark navy blue dress that contrasted sharply with the bright golds and reds of the ballet girls.

The girls were apparently supposed to be slaves, judging from the fake chains that artfully bound their wrists. Embré especially admired their costumes, mostly the fact that they covered so little. They consisted of mere scraps of fabric for their breasts and a loose, semi-translucent skirt for their legs.

Quin and Embré made their way over to Madame Hale as quickly as possible through the dancing ballet. She greeted them with a nod and then a gesture towards the chorus girls. "We are very proud of our ballet here, Messieurs." She said with a voice that lilted and half-sung every word.

Quin was quick to reassure her defensive tone. "Oh, yes, Madame. We see why. This is quite lovely." He looked about, searching for one girl that he could point out and perhaps prove that he actually knew _something_ about ballet. "Especially that girl there," he said with a triumphant tone in his voice. "The blonde angel."

He was rewarded with a small smile from Madame Hale. "Yes, that is my daughter, Rosalie Hale. She has much promise. If she practiced half as much as she flirts with the stage-hands … but you don't care about that."

They continued to watch the leaps and dips of the ballet as a new group of four dancers graced the stage. "Ah!" Began Embré, "The girl with the dark curls! She is beautiful. You have quite a bit of talent on this stage Madame."

"Indeed, they work hard enough for it." She watched the girl mentioned dip gracefully with her eyes closed and she smiled. "Isabella Swan is the girl you noticed. She is truly one to watch, she could be great."

"Yes …" Embré's voice trailed off as he watched the young woman leap in the air on her toes. Great talent and great beauty and he was equally entranced by both.

Quin was the one to keep his head. "She couldn't be related to the late Charles Swan? Who used to be the Chief Inspecteur here in Paris?"

"She was his only child." A note of sadness had entered her tone now.

"I had no idea that his daughter had a skill for the arts." Said Embré, surprised.

"No one did, until the orphanage had neglected her for so long that she ran off and ended up here. Then … hm." Madame Hale coughed lightly, "Sorry. I caught her singing below stage one night. She was only twelve and I decided to bring her under our wing. Now she lives here and," she continued defensively, noticing the looks that Monsieur Call was giving Bella, "she is like a daughter to me."

The meaning behind her words was clear. Hands off. _After all, _Esme went on in her own head. _You take your life in your hands if you approach the girl so adored by the Phantom._

She and the managers parted ways soon after this biography of Bella. Esme went to correct and observe her ballet while the managers slid to the other side of the stage to avoid the gaze of Jessica who had, unfortunately, begun her part of the scene. There they met up with William Black again, who was wearing a smile that was half relief and exhaustion and half terrible nerves.

The music mounted to a crescendo, perfect except for the slight mishap of Michael falling off the large elephant prop that he was supposed to be on top of and Jessica yelling at a chorus girl who had accidentally stepped on her voluminous skirts.

The final note had Embré and Quin smiling again. Yes, they both quite enjoyed opera, although that high final note from Signora Jessica was a bit too grating. They glanced at one another before surreptitiously rubbing at their ears.

The scene ended with the cast gathered around the large elephant that Michael had managed to clamber back on to. Quin and Embré clapped enthusiastically, shouting 'Brava's for the whole cast.

As the actors began to drift off and started to chatter again, the pleased thoughts of the new managers were harshly interrupted by Jessica's Italian accent. "I saw the way you looked at those chorus girls! Am I not enough for you?" was her cry towards the new managers. Thankfully, no one was paying much attention, so only William Black was there to hear her outburst. "If I am not enough for you want-to-be 'managers', then I will not _be _at all. I will not sing! I quit!"

Quin and Embré stared at her and then at each other in shock. William winced in pain. This was one of those things that he had been praying wouldn't happen. It still wasn't too late for Quin and Embré to take back their offer to buy the Opera Populaire and that would be an absolute disaster for his plans to get out of his wretched place. It would be so difficult to find anyone to replace them as new managers.

It had been hard enough in the first place to find anyone who hadn't heard of and been scared off by the legend of the 'Opera Ghost.' In fact, Jessica's outburst was just about the worst thing that could happen save some incident from _him._

The new managers turned their wide eyes on him. "What do we do?" They asked imploringly, incredulous that this had managed to happen on their first day.

_Oh, good. _Thought William with a small sigh of relief. _They think this has something to do with them, that it is a one-time incident._ "Grovel and beg." He said, with a touch of cynicism in his voice that made the new managers take a second glance at each other. This couldn't possibly be a common event, could it?

However, they had more important things to worry about. The premier of the new opera was tonight and they could not afford to lose their leading lady. "Signora, no!" Embré called after her retreating form.

"Please, Signora, we find your singing to be delightfully glorious!" Quin rushed to agree.

"Indeed!" Said Embré, thinking fast, "You are a goddess of music! Amazing, amazing!"

At least Jessica seemed to be listening to them now. "Si! Si, I am indeed!"

"Er, diva, is there not a lovely aria in act three for you? I would feel … I mean, we would feel quite blessed if you would sing it for us!" Quin groaned internally as he said the words. What was he thinking? That song, Think of Me, was one of his favorite pieces of music from any opera. Did he really want her to butcher it with that harsh shriek of a voice?

She looked up at him shrewdly, looking for any trace of dishonesty in his tone or face, then her mouth twisted into a smile and she giggled a little. "I suppose, if my managers wish it, I could manage a rendition."

"Oh, we do!" Insisted Embré, both of the managers nodding their heads emphatically.

"Monsieur Claireau!" She shrieked to the conductor. "My aria! Now!" Then she turned to the stage as a whole and shouted, "Everyone, quiet! I must have focus!" The stage hushed considerably, but it was only so that people could watch the spectacle and giggle.

Embré and Quin turned and looked at each other with wide eyes. When they said diva, they truly meant a diva in the most cliché sense of the word.

Embré sought reassurance that this whole opera scene was worth becoming involved in by looking over to find that lovely young lady he had noticed dancing earlier. Isabella, was it? He found her seated on the floor, stretching and chatting with the other girl they had discussed during the rehearsal song, the blonde girl, Rosalie, who was ridiculously gorgeous. Jessica's announcement that she would be singing the aria was met only with more hushed whispers from the two of them.

Meanwhile, Quin was getting an unhappy feeling of nerves from Jessica's elaborate overreaction. "Ah, Monsieur?" He asked as he rushed to catch up with William Black. "Why are you retiring again?"

William looked at the woman warming up to sing and then thought back on the letters, the accidents, box five, the salary, the rumors, and said, quite honestly, "My health."

Quin did not find this answer reassuring in the least, but didn't have time to protest the response because the stage had gone quiet and a piano was beginning to play his favorite aria. Embré winced and wondered to himself if there couldn't have been a better way to bring their leading lady back as he watched the chorus girls roll their eyes and cringe as Jessica sang the first note.

"Think of me,  
Think of me fondly,  
When we've said,  
GOOD-bye!"

It was as Jessica hit that high note on 'good-bye' that Quin could no longer keep up his poker face and flinched away from her singing. Embré noticed that the entire cast was whispering about their diva's highly overdone voice and then he glanced at his friend to see Quin's obvious look of pain as Jessica went about trying to destroy the aria. Embré sent a glare Quin's way, trying to tell him to be less obvious with his less than enthusiastic feelings. After all, they certainly didn't want her to walk out again! However, he went unnoticed, as Quin was unable to stop his flinches.

He was too focused on Quin's lack of enthusiasm to notice an odd creaking sound in the background, but if he had noticed it, he might have thought that a member of the crew was walking up in the rafters by the set pieces. Seconds later though, it was impossible not to notice the hissing sound of a rope sliding through a pulley and then the giant crash of a piece of scenery down onto the stage and right on top of Jessica.

Shrieks and screams filled the theater and Quin and Embré met each other's eyes in shock. Could this day be going any worse? First their diva tries to quit and now a piece of scenery just happens to fall on top of her. Bad luck on top of bad luck.

Of course, William knew that this was not bad luck in any way. Or at least, if it was bad luck, it was a form of bad luck that had been going on for years now. This was exactly what he had hoped wouldn't happen before he managed to escape this cursed opera house and now here it was, the exact thing he had dreaded. _I've got to get out of here! _He thought, nearing a panic. _I can't deal with this!_

_I'll just clear this up and then be gone. _"Emmett!" William's voice was a touch shaky and had a little too much fear in it, but in all the screams of terror and whispers, it sounded like a beacon of calm. His shout went up into the rafters after the man who usually took care of scenery and the like. "Emmett, what's going on up there? What were you thinking?"

The man Emmett was young, maybe twenty or so, big, but in a muscle man sort of way, and handsome. He looked down over the rail of his catwalk and called down, "I'm sorry Billy, but I wasn't there! I was over on the stairs," _So as not to hear Jessica sing,_ he thought, but didn't say, "and it just fell. I swear I had the ropes tied up and everything too! But there was no one up here, or if there was," he said, his voice attaining a taunting note as he looked down on their new managers of the opera house. They didn't know about the rumors yet and they ought to. "Well, it must have been a ghost!"

Esme had been watching the rehearsal and Jessica's first outburst, keeping a special eye on the new managers before she noticed the man on the catwalk. Not Emmett, but the man who had been there earlier, the man she had known all along would have wanted to do something on this special day to welcome the new managers. She was there, therefore, when a letter fell down from the rafters, something no one else noticed. She picked it up, seeing the characteristic white envelope sealed with a stamp of a skull in red wax. _Oh, Edward … _she thought, despairingly.

Meanwhile, Jessica was throwing another fit on stage. Quin made the mistake of telling her that it was merely one of those accidents that happen from time to time in an opera house. "Oh, they are just accidents, are they?" Her Italian accent was even more pronounced when she was under stress. "Well let me tell you something about your 'accidents,' they have been happening for four years! And you two are just as bad as he is!" She gestured wildly towards William, who groaned internally. "And until you make these 'accidents' stop happening, _I will not happen!_"

With this dramatic pronouncement, she pulled her costume assistant along with her and marched her way to the door, ignoring Embré's protest of, "No, Signora!"

Michael followed up her dramatic exit with a brief and patronizing look and a huff of, "Amateurs!" before he stalked off like Jessica toward the exit.

Embré and Quin shared another desperate look. What a disaster! It couldn't get any worse than this! Quin looked at William and asked, pleadingly, "Signora Jessica, she won't really leave, will she? She'll come back, right?"

Quin was frantic, but William's only response was a shrug of exasperation and then a happy realization. This wasn't his problem anymore! He didn't have to worry about why the 'Opera Ghost' had sent the scenery crashing down! He didn't have to care about whether Jessica was coming back or not! And so he made a happy announcement, "Gentlemen, I am leaving. Good luck. If you need me … well, I could not care less."

And William Black stomped out of the Opera Populaire with a sigh of happy relief. Thank God.

Inside, things were a little less relaxed. Harold Claireau seemed to have given up any hope of getting rehearsals back on schedule and didn't even want to think about the premier that was supposed to be going on tonight.

Esme was standing a little in the background, her subdued dress allowing her to be less noticeable. She was trying to think of what to do. Finally, she sighed quietly to herself and stepped forward, ready to play along with Edward's little game. "Gentlemen. I have a letter for you from the Opera Ghost."

Embré and Quin exchanged an incredulous look that was starting to feel awfully familiar. "Are you crazy?" Quin asked, staring at Madame Esme Hale.

"No," she replied, examining him carefully. "As I said, the Opera Ghost welcomes you to his opera house …"

Embré interrupted her. "_His_ opera house? What the devil does that mean? Who the hell is this 'Opera Ghost'?"

Esme ignored the interruption, "… and he hopes that you will continue to leave box five empty for him to use." She gestured towards what was widely considered to be the best seat in the house, the box overlooking the stage on the right. "Also, he reminds you that his salary is due."

"His _salary_?!" Exclaimed Embré. "You can't be serious! Money to some rumor? I ask again, who the hell is this 'Opera Ghost'?"

Esme replied with patience. "He is someone you would do well to listen to. When things do not go to his liking things go wrong."

She would not perpetuate the legends of the 'Phantom of the Opera' the way Emmett might, but she certainly wanted to give these managers fair warning of what Edward was capable of.

"And Monsieur Black used to pay him twenty thousand francs a month." She continued. Quin and Embré both glanced at each other and then chanced a fleeting look back to where William had escaped. This whole 'Opera Ghost' rumor had certainly not been mentioned when the opera house had been sold to them!

"Twenty thousand francs!" Embré exclaimed in shock.

"Yes," said Esme, and then, with a flick of her eyebrows continued ironically, "But you do have the Vicomte as your patron, so perhaps you will be able to pay him more?"

_Edward won't be happy with the news that he has to break in a patron who will want to be involved in the artistic side of things as well as two new managers._ She did not let out her sigh, but wished she could.

Monsieur Claireau made the next outburst. "We shall have to cancel the premier!" He shouted in shock. "There is no understudy for Jessica's role! How could the Opera Ghost ruin us like this!"

"No understudy?" spluttered Quin, his mind barely able to take in yet another shocking piece of information.

Esme was looking at the letter that Edward had written. Why had he cut down that piece of scenery? She knew that he hated Jessica's voice, but he wouldn't risk his performance and his opera unless there was a very good reason for it. She handed the letter to Quin absently as the managers and Monsieur Claireau argued over what they could possibly do to save the show.

There had to be something she was missing. She scanned the stage slowly, wondering if Edward was still there, still watching. Then her eyes lighted on her daughter and the girl she thought of as a second daughter. Of course.

She would do as Edward wanted her to this time. It truly was for the good of her unofficial daughter. And so she raised her voice slightly to cut through the manager's conversation and said, "Isabella Swan can sing the role."

**A/N:** Here we go! Now, I swear that the next chapter is actually going to have Bella and Edward in it majorly. This scene is very heavily based off of the movie version of Phantom of the Opera, but in the future we're going to be breaking away from that storyline a little. Please, give me your comments, they are my only payment. On another note, don't worry if you don't completely understand things now, all will be clear in time.

**Next Time: **Bella has an impromptu audition and Edward reminices before meeting some surprise guests.


	3. Isabella Swan

**Previously: **The new managers were introduced to the Opera Populaire, scenery crashed down on Jessica, and Esme suggested that Bella could sing the lead in tonight's opera.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 2**

**Isabella Swan**

Quin looked up, unsure that he had heard Madame Hale correctly. "A chorus girl?" He asked incredulously, "Sing the leading role?" While he may have praised her dancing skill, it was unheard of to put someone no one had ever heard of into the starring role of a premier show at the Opera Populaire.

Esme continued, ignoring his disbelieving tone. "She is being tutored by a great teacher."

Embré looked to be on either the verge of laughter or tears. "Is she now? Who?"

Bella had begun to flush when she had heard Esme say her name. After stepping forward to hear the conversation better she was now a brilliant shade of scarlet. She realized how ridiculous her answer would sound and her embarrassment increased. "I don't know his name." She said, ducking her head a little.

Esme came over to her, supportively. "Let her sing, Messieurs, she is very good."

Quin could never be sure later if it was the sheer desperation of the situation, or if something in Madame Hale and Mademoiselle Swan's faces said they were telling the truth, or if he could somehow feel a sinister presence that wanted him to comply with their wishes, but all of a sudden he became conciliatory.

"All right then Mademoiselle, let us hear you sing." The girl looked very hesitant, so he said, reassuringly, "It will be all right. Here you are." He ushered her to the middle of the stage with an empathetic sense of what she must be feeling. The entire cast and half the crew was watching this impromptu audition.

Bella looked out at all the empty seats in the audience and then back at Rosalie and Esme, beseeching them not to make her do this. They both looked encouraging, despite her own nerves, urging her on as she stood center stage.

Then, sensing it more than anything, she turned and looked up toward the rafters, feeling that somehow, _he_ was watching her. Despite the feeling, all she could see was Emmett grinning at her and flashing her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

She shook off the awareness as Monsieur Claireau took his place at the conductors' stand again. He looked at her skeptically and said, "Well, shall we take it from the top of the aria? I trust that you know it?"

Bella drew in a deep breath, and took a fleeting moment to think. She knew this song so well. She had practiced it with _him_ so many times. Every time that Jessica sang it with her harsh voice, it pained her, hating the way she butchered the sweet melody.

The piano began its tender background music and she had the involuntary thought, _he plays it better,_ before she had to begin.

"Think of me," She sang weakly and hesitantly. Something about being in front of all these people was breaking down her voice and forcing her to be swamped with nerves, no matter what she tried. She sounded terrible and would be the first to admit it.

"Think of me fondly," Her voice cracked and she winced as if in physical pain.

From behind her she could hear the new manager, Embré, say in a stage whisper, "Quin, this is doing nothing for my nerves."

Then she almost jumped because, all of a sudden, it was like _he_ was there whispering in her ear. She could hear his voice so clearly, like he was standing right at her shoulder. "Bella. Bella, don't pay attention to them. Sing for me."

And her voice responded to his command. It soared high into the seats farthest away in the opera house, all the way to tinkle among the crystals of the far-off chandelier. Impossible and perfect, she had never sung this song better.

"When you find, that once again you long,  
To take your heart back and be free,  
If you ever find a moment,  
Spare a thought for me."

This was exactly what she had dreamed of since she was a child and her mother had first taken her to the opera house. While the noble born and flighty Renée had seen it merely as an opportunity to socialize, Bella had been possessed by the music even then. All of the haunting arias, soaring high notes, and magical ballets had taken her over. She had lost herself in the story even though it had been in a language she didn't understand and she had been only six-years-old. The music could cut through all of that, could speak as though just to her.

It was one of the things that that she would always be grateful to her mother for, one of the few things that her mother had truly given her in this life. It wasn't that she didn't love and dearly miss Renée, just that she had just always been so childish, so frivolous.

Renée would never have understood the power of this song, the power of singing this song to perfection, the power of knowing that _he_ was watching and was proud of her.

"There will never be a day when,  
I won't think of you!"

Her voice rang through the Opera Populaire on the last note with an indescribable purity and clarity that could never have been found in Jessica's overdone vibrato.

Stunned silence filled the theater for a moment and then sudden, enthusiastic applause from everyone behind her. Bella had to shake herself out of the daze of pure music that she had created and she turned hesitantly back to face the new managers.

Their response was summed up with one word from Quin after he and Embré glanced at one another. This miracle find absolutely made up for the mess they had made with Jessica. "Brava." Quin said with quiet honesty. He found himself truly looking forward to the performance that night.

- - -

Rosalie seized the opportunity to speak to her friend during their first short break since Bella had been given the leading part in the opera. That announcement from the managers had been followed with Monsieur Claireau demanding that they go through the entire opera to ensure that Bella knew every part of it. The hours of work that her teacher had put her through were finally coming to use when she knew every note.

"Bella, you are incredible! Your voice … I haven't heard you sing in so long Bella. You sound like an angel out there."

Rosalie let out a sigh of amazement and then hugged Bella tightly. Bella smiled faintly as her blush finally started to fade. Instead of letting Rose continue on this vein of praise, which would surely only lead to more embarrassment, Bella changed the subject to something she knew would spark Rose's attention. She whispered to her, "Thanks Rose, but I should tell you … did you see the new patron?"

"Of course, he's so handsome."

Bella brushed off Rose's typical comments and continued. "He's the Jacob that I told you about."

Rosalie drew back with wide eyes. "The boy you used to play with, the one you had the huge crush on?" She asked, with a teasing lilt to her voice. The sheer volume of her questions drew eyes from their fellow cast members and Bella flushed dark red again before drawing Rosalie further to the side of the stage.

"Hush!" She said, keeping an eye out for curious eavesdroppers. "I'm sure he doesn't want people to know that he used to know a chorus girl. In fact, I'm sure he doesn't even remember me. I played with his sisters more often that I played with him and we were only children."

"Oh, Bella, he's gorgeous!" Rosalie giggled. "And here you are about to star in his premier show! He'll notice you then."

Bella blushed lightly, embarrassed by her friend's frankness about romance and men in general. She often felt shy around Rosalie's bold talk and actions. Rosalie wasn't just beautiful, although her looks could have let her do anything, let her have anyone. She loved playing the game of romance as well. Bella was much more content to merely draw inward and work on her voice or read than to fool about with men.

Rosalie grinned widely at her, recognizing her friend's embarrassment and deciding to drop it for now. "Bella, you need to go get Jessica's costumes to fit you. That will be quite a job for Jessica's costume people. There's so much material to take out!" She laughed loudly, "And Mama wants me to go dance some more." Rosalie rolled her eyes and hugged Bella again before they parted.

"Don't be so negative, Bella!" She encouraged back on the topic she wanted to talk about, "After tonight, your Jacob will be so in love he won't be able to see straight! Your voice … I wish you would tell me who is teaching you." Then Rosalie rushed off to join her mother and the rest of the chorus girls.

Bella frowned at Rosalie's last statement. Rose had been asking her for the name of her teacher who tutored her voice for as long as she had been receiving formal lessons. Rose would never believe her when she said that she honestly did not know his name, had never even _seen_ him before …

But before she could lose herself in the mystery of her teacher, one of Jessica's costume people grabbed her shoulder and snapped, "I don't have the time to wait, Mademoiselle, let's move already!"

- - -

At that moment, beneath the Bella's very feet as she was whisked away to the dressing room, a man stood after very recently letting a piece of scenery fall to the ground on top of the woman who claimed to be the star of his opera house.

Edward was still in a positive mood from listening to his angel sing 'Think of Me' to the rest of the world, but no one who didn't know him would have been able to tell it. He swept along the passageways that only he knew of beneath his opera house in his usual dramatic style, dressed all in black.

There was so much to make sure went right before his angel's debut as the star soprano and he had to monitor it all. Not to mention he had to think about what exactly to do about the new managers who obviously did not believe in the legend of the Opera Ghost.

_Well, I'll just have to make them believe then, won't I?_ He thought to himself and wondered how best to do it.

At the same time a gnawing, burning thirst was beginning to bother him. He had been too busy to feed recently what with the upcoming premier as well as the new managers and patron. However, he had realized that he had put it off for too long when he had passed the human stagehand, Emmett, in the hall and he had gotten the sudden urge to drink from him.

He had held back of course. Edward liked to think that he had some smidgen of self-control, after all, but when Bella's scent began to tempt him even when he was high up in the rafters, he knew that he had to hunt soon.

Now in fact, he decided. If he really went through with his half-formed plans for tonight, he would need to be as satiated as possible to keep from accidentally killing his angel, his student, his Bella.

He shied away from the very thought of it. _Imagine never seeing her again, killing my angel_, whispered a thought in his mind. _Imagine never hearing her voice again. _They were the same thoughts that kept him from killing her every time he saw her. It was the last one, about her voice, that was the reason she had lived past the first time he met her.

-

_Edward had known that there was a new person in his opera house from the moment she entered. He had enough traps and warnings set up that even if he didn't have vampire senses, he could have known. She was in his territory, under the stage. His first urge had been to go frighten her away, but then with a terrifying suddenness, he had breathed in her aroma._

_Suddenly there was no holding back. He had no control at all. None of the things that he had been building up so long and hard with Carlisle were even remembered. He simply smelled her and she became the prey with him the thirsty predator._

_He was racing down the passages faster than he had even known that he could. It was beyond vampire speed, it was … and then he was there. Right in front of her, behind a mirror so that she couldn't see him, but he could see her. She was a twelve-year-old child who was crying, but singing her heart out at the same time._

"_Angel of Music,  
Guide and guardian,"_

_Her voice caused reactions in him that were just as violent as his reaction her blood. Her song cleared away the memories of every other piece of music he had ever heard. He was filled with her, with the voice that, while imperfect, had more potential than he had ever imagined could exist._

_And he froze, locked in place. Two sides did battle within him. Carlisle was nearly forgotten, although his voice did sound resoundingly on the human side, on the side that in one instant of clear, pure sound had fallen in love with her voice. On the other side was the monster that was an inescapable part of him, the devil of her scent, the temptation of her blood. He couldn't be expected to resist such temptation, could he?!_

_But her song, her voice … such indescribable beauty._

"_Grant to me your,  
Glory."_

_Her voice broke at the end as tears streamed down her face. Edward wanted to go to her, more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He wasn't sure, though, if he wanted to go to quench the impossible burning in the back of his throat or simply to make her sing more for him._

_It was too much. To kill or to save? Monster or man? Music or death?_

_His answer came as the girl got up the strength to begin singing again._

"_Angel of Music,  
Hide no longer,  
Secret and strange,  
Angel."_

_Her fragrance wafted toward him again, but it didn't matter anymore. He was resolute. In a swirl of black, he was rushing back down the corridors to find Esme, to save this girl-child. His own, personal angel of music._

-

It wasn't until much later that he realized that he hadn't been able to read her thoughts. At the time, it had seemed only natural, because she was no ordinary human. She was an angel and an animal all at once. Afterwards though … it became just one of the many things that made her so fascinating to him.

_And now, Bella,_ he thought, _now the rest of the world shall hear you sing as well._

It was with that final thought in mind that he entered his lair at last. He was inclined to swim across the lake that bridged the end of this path to the place where his organ sat, but didn't want to go to the trouble of having to change clothes, so decided to take the boat instead. It was when he was in the middle of rowing across the lake that he recognized the scents that he was smelling.

He let out a quiet groan and stopped rowing, indecisively. He grumbled to himself. _They run off for a couple years and then come back, breaking into my house and assuredly planning to criticize my life style. Ah, the joys of siblings._ Despite his negative thoughts, he realized that there was no way around it and began to row again.

Just as he had thought, the first thoughts that greeted him when he began focusing were those of Alice and they were very vocal complaints. She obviously intended for him to hear them as well. _... and in Paris! This dirty city has nothing but rats and filth and he immerses himself in it, away from our lifestyle, away from Carlisle, and for what? He lives under an opera house, goes completely over the top with his little 'Phantom of the Opera' stunts. It's ridiculous Edward!_

Jasper, at least, was calmer. Most of his focus was going toward ignoring the smell of human blood that was hovering around this entire opera house. Jasper was still too weak in resisting human blood to be in the middle of such a big city and Edward turned to Alice, ready to tell her this when she interrupted. "Edward, you are being ridiculous."

He rolled his eyes in frustration at this thought that she had expressed many times before. "You mentioned that last time you were here. That was two years ago, Alice. It's nice to see you again, by the way. How was the countryside?"

She didn't answer his question out loud. "I mean it. Two years ago I thought that Jasper and I would take an extended vacation, come back and you would be over this whole thing, but no. You're still here." It was only after saying this that she answered his polite greeting in her head. _It was fine, but I think we're back for a while now. I missed you._

Edward felt a moment of affection for his sister, despite her accusations. "Yes, I'm still here. I missed you too. Have you gone to see Carlisle yet, Alice?"

She looked extremely disapproving at the quick subject change, but answered anyway. "Yes, we went to see him first. He's doing well."

"I know." Edward replied curtly to the implied insult that he wouldn't know how Carlisle was. "He's still my father even if I do choose to live here."

"Well, Edward, I wouldn't be so frustrated if you were just _living_ here, but no. There's this whole silliness with the 'Opera Ghost' and scaring the real managers and don't even get me started about your Bella."

Edward looked at her dryly. There was no other way to handle Alice's boldly stated opinions. "And here I was thinking that you of all people would approve of my involvement in society. Don't you always worry about my antisocial behavior?"

"This was never what I intended and you know it!" She hissed at him. "You're obsessed with the girl and she's never even seen you, never truly met you! She's just a child! And besides, it's not her that you're involved with, it's her _voice._"

Something about that speech made Edward furious. He couldn't decide what exactly had set him off, but all of it was simply awful. For a moment, he thought about attacking Alice, sister or no, but a wave of calm from Jasper's direction made him contain himself. "That is _not_ true. You know nothing about it. She's seventeen, she knows enough about me and … and I am _certainly_ more involved with her than just with her voice."

Alice seemed put-off by the fervency of his tone. She eyed him speculatively, her thoughts awhirl. _Good, I made her think about it. _He thought, satisfied.

When she finally spoke again, it was a mirror of her thoughts, something he appreciated. "I'm sorry Edward. I haven't been here for two years. It isn't right for me to presume, I suppose. It's just … I want our family back. It's so strange to have us all living separately." In her head she continued, _it was wonderful to spend time with Jasper, but deciding that he couldn't handle the city was the hardest decision we've ever made. _"I feel awful leaving you all alone down here and Carlisle living the doctor life up there." She gestured above their heads. "I wish we could live like we did before you discovered this opera house."

Edward looked away, toward the organ that lay behind her. He listened to Jasper's mental voice ringing in his mind. _She means well Edward. She just wants family. We missed you and Carlisle while we were away._

"I know." Edward answered him aloud. "Look, Alice, I understand your concern. I know that you do it out of … love, but you have to understand that this, the music … Bella …" he trailed off, at a complete loss as to how to even begin attempting to explain this. He waved his hands about his head ineffectually. Finally he sighed. "Tell Carlisle I say hello."

Alice pursed her lips. "You could go tell him yourself you know."

Edward frowned. "No, the opening night of the opera is tonight and Bella …" He trailed off again, wondering if perhaps he should keep this a secret from his disapproving sister. It was too late of course. Her gift was giving her all the visions that she needed to know about what was going to happen that night.

He saw it through her mind's eye. Bella looking stunning in the ball gowns for the opera and singing those songs, though her voice was a mere shadow in the vision.

Suddenly, Alice was looking farther into the future, seeing something that Edward had only recently decided to try. Edward winced. He was fairly certain that this would not be taken well.

"You're bringing her here?" Alice breathed, her whisper sounding shocked. "I thought that she didn't even know if you were a real person or a ghost she imagines."

Edward grimaced in distaste at the reminder. "She doesn't know that, I suppose."

Jasper's eyes were penetrating. "Edward, how are you going to resist her blood? I've felt a shadow of the thirst you feel around her and …"

"I'm going to hunt. And besides, I'm still not entirely sure if I want to bring her here. It's so much safer for her to not know me."

It must have been a testament to the pain in his voice or some expression on his face or perhaps a vision that he had missed, but Alice seemed to have had an abrupt shift in opinions. "I've changed my mind." She said, "Bring her here. You can do it. Introduce yourself." She eyed him speculatively. "I guess I never considered that this went beyond a disturbing obsession with music."

Edward resisted the brief urge to throw them both out of his opera house. "Either way, I need to hunt prior to watching the premier of my opera. So come with me or go see Carlisle or whatever you like, but I am leaving."

Alice and Jasper eyed him carefully and he could hear their minds working frantically, trying to compute the new data that he had given them. He ignored it and began a loose jog down the series of passages that would lead him to the world outside Paris.

He heard Jasper's mind catching up to him before anything else, and he was thinking words of comfort. _I'm sorry for the rough reintroduction, brother. We really did miss you. _Other thoughts wandered through his head, not fully voiced even mentally. Regret for losing control and killing that man two years ago. That had been the reason that Alice and he had decided to move away for a while, leaving behind half of their family.

"That's alright Jasper. And … I missed the two of you as well." Edward replied, deciding not to acknowledge the other thoughts drifting through Jasper's mind. Some things were best left in the past. Jasper felt bad enough already, and Edward could tell that he had returned from their little 'vacation' with more control.

Jasper lost some of his seriousness then and thought teasingly, _hm … perhaps we could come see the premier of your opera then? See your rising star?_

Edward didn't respond, just ran faster through the passageways, thoughts refocused on Bella's long awaited premier.

* * *

**A/N: **As promised, some Edward and Bella goodness for you all. Not together, of course, for that you'll have to wait a bit. Don't worry, it's coming. ;-) But while you're waiting, here's some Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie! That's got to count for something! I know, I know, it's just not the same. Thanks so much for the reviews, keep them coming! They brighten up my day, and with finals right around the corner, I need some brightening. Don't worry, nothing that will effect me updating this story. Thanks for reading!

**Next Time: **Bella has her premier, Jacob has a realization, and Edward makes a decision ... well, sort of.


	4. The Premier

**Previously:** Bella sang for the new managers and she's now going to sing in the opera tonight. Edward got a visit from Alice and Bella and is contemplating meeting Bella face to face tonight. Jacob is the new patron of the Opera Populaire and he's coming to the show tonight.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 3**

**The Premier**

Bella Swan had both dreamed and had nightmares of being on stage since she was a very small child. On the one hand, she had always wanted to be the star of operas, to sing up on that grand stage that she had first seen when she was six years old. On the other, Bella was certainly not the outgoing stage personality that Jessica was She would rather be singing in her own room, not for the whole world to hear.

Therefore, going out on that huge stage to sing in front of a giant crowd that included her childhood sweetheart, Jacob, the new Vicomte de La Pushe, was one of the hardest things she had ever done. As she stood behind the curtain, waiting to begin, her heart pounded and she almost trembled with nerves that were compounded by the bright lights and the roar of the crowd beyond the curtain.

Rosalie dashed over to her with her dancing step for some last minute reassurance. "Bella, you're going to be amazing. Stop worrying!" That was all she could get out before Esme came on stage to hustle the ballet girls into their positions before the curtain came up.

Esme gave Bella a supportive glance and then came over to her before stepping off stage so that they could begin. "Bella," she said, and then her voice trailed off as if she didn't know quite what to say. "Good luck." She ended, rather anticlimactically. Bella was left with the feeling that there had been something more that Esme had wanted to talk about, but before she could ask, Esme had left to watch from backstage.

And then the music began with swish of the baton from the conductor, the curtain rose, and suddenly, without any nerves at all, she was singing the first song of the opera.

All her anxiety detached itself from her as she fell into the reality of her song. She could still feel the nerves in a roundabout way, but only as an idea, not as though it was actually affecting her. Her mind, body, and soul were all lost in the music, in the message, in the power of the melody she sang. Her heart was poured into the lyrics the tension that had so plagued her through the pre-performance jitters floating away.

It was as though she was in a dream. Everything felt distinctly surreal and she was giddy with adrenaline and the music that swept through every cell of her body. She was lost in the passion and beauty of the music in the same sort of way that she sometimes was swept away by good books, except this was even more overwhelming.

Music, passion, feeling. She was utterly blown away by it all.

- - -

Edward wondered why she and her angel's voice ever surprised him anymore, but it was only a vague thought as he was lost to her music that caressed and surrounded him. Her voice sang to him beyond any other music in the world, just as her blood sang to him like no other food source in the world. Early on, before he had become quite as completely wrapped up in running his opera house but after meeting Bella, he had gone on a trip with Carlisle to visit the Volturi.

He had shared his thoughts with Aro, only because there had been no polite way around it, and Aro had had much to say about Bella. The Volturi had called her 'La Tua Cantante'. That her blood sang to him. He had found that amusing. After all, it wasn't just her blood that sang for him with all its might.

Or at least, he liked to think that. He reprimanded himself for the overly possessive thought. She's young, she's beautiful, she has more to sing for than her mysterious tutor who she has never met.

In some twisted way, this thought strengthened his resolve to go through with his plan for this evening. To draw her down to where he lived, to show himself to her, to … he admitted it reluctantly to himself … to make her sing just for him.

_Selfish! Selfish! _His mind screamed at him. _Don't do this to her just so you can have your singer._ He looked down at her and then closed his eyes to fully immerse himself in her voice. _Beautiful. So gorgeous._ _She's an angel._

_So don't corrupt her. Don't bring her down there. Don't steal her away from this._ It was no use. No matter how effective the arguments against it may have been, it was too late now. He had been waiting for too long and her voice was too perfect.

He thought briefly of the other factors involved in all of this. Alice and Jasper had left to stay with Carlisle for the night rather than watching the opera as Jasper had joked. Alice had grasped his hand briefly before she left saying mentally, _I love you, Edward. Remember that you are our family, no matter what._ Jasper had patted him on the shoulder and Edward had been left with the odd feeling that they had just given him their blessing.

What worried him was that he wasn't sure whether the blessing was for his plan to bring her down to his home beneath the theater, or if it was forgiveness if he slipped in their vegetarian lifestyle and killed her. They had both had thoughts of such an event in their heads and he worried that their kind departure was somehow an acceptance of the possibility.

_No. I would never, __**never**__ do that to her._ In order to distract himself from the thought of sinking his teeth into her … no, he wasn't going to think about it. Bella had left the stage at this point and it was a song from Michael. _I ought to make them replace him. He's not good enough for Bella … but then again, who is?_

He sighed in his head. Must every thought lead back to Bella?

There was a new patron of his theater. Edward frowned, disgruntled at this thought. The Vicomte de La Pushe. He was sitting in Edward's usual seat, which was why Edward was currently up here, in the little walkway that went around the ceiling by the chandelier. It was made to clean the chandelier and it provided a better view of that piece of ornamentation than it did of the stage.

No, Edward was not inclined at this moment to forgive the Vicomte for making him watch Bella's premier from way up here. And then there was the fact of the man's attitude. He was staring at Bella in utter awe. While he understood the feeling, Edward was getting a very bad feeling about this man.

Still, he couldn't worry about any of it for more than a moment when Bella's voice kept calling him back to focus on her. Why did he even try distracting himself from her?

Tonight. Yes, there was no doubt about it, no matter how much he may wish that there were. Tonight he would finally be face to face with his Angel of Music, his muse, his Bella.

- - -

To stay on stage and to sing were both the easiest things possible for Bella. The echoes of the glorious opera hall, the orchestra playing so perfectly, and the chorus backing up her every line, the dim faces of the audience who could barely be distinguished through the bright lights shining on the stage … even with her mysterious tutor she had never fallen so completely and utterly into the music. There was something about the grandeur of it all that sang to her beyond anything else. Even the audience and the nerves merely fed her voice, which sprang forth as it never had before. It shocked her when she went on stage again only to realize that they had reached the final song of the opera. It was also the first song she had sung on this stage, 'Think of Me.'

It was in the moments before the song began that she came back to herself in some small way. She took a moment to examine the audience and was relieved when they seemed as enthralled in the music as she was. It was only then that she remembered Jacob and almost laughed at how she had completely forgotten such a major source of her nerves prior to the opera's first notes. She was wondering where he was sitting, what he thought of her performance, when she glanced up at Box Five.

This was the box that was the location of all the rumors, the box that was left empty for the 'Phantom of the Opera.' At least, that was the legend that both Rosalie and Emmett would swear to until their dying day.

And there in that box was Jacob, the very person who had managed not to enter her mind all night while she was singing. Jacob, the boy she had played with as a child, who had laughed both with and at her, the innocent, childhood friend that she had imagined to be Prince Charming when she was ten-years-old.

Despite the song and the innocence embodied in the white ball gown she was wearing, she couldn't manage to focus on Jacob. Things had changed so much since then. She had changed so much. Opera and singing had been a far-off dream that was exceedingly unrealistic for the only daughter of Charles and Renée Swan. Now, music had become a passion that went beyond all else. Jacob would no longer understand this part of her. That was obvious to her in this one moment of musical clarity before 'Think of Me' began.

She looked away from Jacob and some kind of sixth sense seemed to call for her to look up and above, to the chandelier and the small walkway behind it. Standing there, she thought she saw a dark figure staring back down at her. She watched it, transfixed. Was it a person? Why would anyone be up there? Maybe it was just a shadow and she was imagining it.

But then the piano melody began to play and Bella allowed herself to float away, lose herself in the music once more. It no longer mattered if there was someone in the heights of the opera house, it just mattered that there was music and song and such beauty and purity. Her voice soared.

"Think of me,  
Think of me fondly,  
When we've said,  
Good-bye!"

- - -

Jacob stared at the stage. He was not generally one for music, especially opera, but there was something about this lead singer that reminded him of something. Her name, Isabella Swan … he could swear that he knew that from somewhere. But where would he have met a lead singer from an opera?

And what exactly had happened here anyway? He had heard and met the lead female star this afternoon and Isabella Swan was certainly not the infamous Signora Jessica. Ah, well, no one would hear any complaints coming out of his mouth. On the contrary, he was enjoying an opera for the first time ever.

That was when this Mademoiselle Swan began her final song, and looked directly up at him. Their eyes met. It was only for an instant, but suddenly his heart was racing and he was rushing to look at his program one more time. It couldn't be! Could it?

Isabella Swan. But when he had known her, she had just been Bella. The childhood playmate, sweetheart perhaps even! He could remember it all so clearly now. And here she was, looking so exquisite there on the stage singing with the voice of an angel.

Could this really be his Bella? When did the clumsy little police chief's daughter become the diva of an opera? He vaguely remembered her having a beautiful voice, but her family had possessed too much status in society to let her slip down into the dregs of the entertainment industry.

He clearly remembered the girl now. How could he have forgotten? She had been one of his sisters' dearest playmates, always laughing and tripping. Her brown curls were always tangled into knots, never staying in the elaborate hairstyles that her mother would force them into.

What a transformation! Look at Bella now! Ah, and she looked so beautiful down there. Like a true star. _I'll have to see her after the performance_, he resolved, and leaned forward in his box to see better as she continued her song.

- - -

Her voice flew through the room and Bella closed her eyes for a moment to absorb the sound, to absorb the feelings of the lights and the beauty of the moment. It was truly a triumph, an exquisite culmination of the years of mysterious lessons under her genius teacher. In a rush of giddiness, she wondered if there was any way he could have heard her tonight. She hoped he could. She had always felt inadequate in the face of his musical genius. Tonight though, tonight she felt like she could stand equal to him, in the face of such a success.

_I hope my angel is proud._ She thought fleetingly as she finished her song, and then she was lost in the final notes.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah  
Ah-ah-ah-ah-aaa- of  
Me!"

The feeling she got as the final note reverberated around the opera house and faded into the thunderous applause and shuffling of an entire audience getting to its feet was unparalleled. It went beyond anything she had ever felt before and suddenly there was meaning again in every grueling hour that she spent drilling her voice.

This beauty, this purity, this passion was why she did it all.

- - -

Embré and Quin were in awe. What had been a last minute, desperate grab for something rather than nothing had turned out rather splendidly if they did say so themselves.

The girl that they had said showed promise was blossoming before their eyes. She flourished on stage. She was a diva and her voice! That voice could break hearts and heal them all in one fell note.

They traded looks and smiled at each other. Yes, yes, brava indeed. In fact, this whole opera business was getting off to a marvelous start. Well, there was that hiccup with the Opera Ghost nonsense, but that had obviously been someone's ridiculous idea of a practical joke to scare the new managers. They had their money on that Emmett fellow. It had probably been his idea to drop the scenery as well.

Ah, well, they were in a mood to be forgiving. After all, they were currently applauding a rising star that was giving them a full house on their feet in a standing ovation.

Embré nudged Quin and got a nudge back as they looked at each other. They had been partners for quite a while and they knew when they had just hit the jackpot. The look that they gave each other in that moment was most definitely one of 'just hitting the jackpot.'

- - -

There was one person who was not quite as thrilled with Bella's performance as the rest of the world seemed to be. In fact there were two. One of them was a woman who stood backstage as flowers were thrown on stage for Bella. She grimaced at the merriment before she took a long swig of a mysterious liquid that tasted rather like pure alcohol and hurried outside.

There she was to meet the other person who was praying that the opera had not gone well, a certain diva who was shocked that for the first time ever, her managers had not groveled on their knees to her in an attempt to get her to return. Rather, they had tried to replace her! As if such a thing could ever be done. Those, at least were Signora Jessica's thoughts as she waited outside the Opera Populaire in a carriage for the woman she had paid to bring her news of how the opera had faired.

The woman rushed up to the carriage at that moment and Jessica's hopes were crushed by a mere pained look and shake of the woman's head.

"No! It cannot be! She is just a … a chorus girl!" Jessica cried out into the night.

Unfortunately for her, 'just a chorus girl' was not exactly a phrase that could describe Bella Swan at that moment.

- - -

Jacob barely stayed behind in his box long enough to applaud Bella's performance. He was up in an instant and on his way to reach her, to talk to the girl of his childhood. He was privy to a strange sensation while he walked, the feeling that he was on his way to meet back up with some perfectly preserved slice of his childhood.

_Bella!_ As he thought about it, more and more things came back to him. Playing at the beach that one time that their parents had gone there together, the sand and the waves and his sisters all wrapped up in a vivid image of youth. _Bella._ He hadn't thought about her in years.

Now, after seeing her on that stage, he wondered what exactly had happened through those years. The leading lady of the Opera Populaire? How on earth had Bella gotten to that point?

As he made his way down the stairs to the lobby of the opera house, he tried to recall anything he had heard of her. He remembered hearing of her parents' deaths. First her mother of the Fever, he vaguely remembered watching a much younger Bella grieve over that, and then her father to a bullet from a vengeful criminal.

_My god, did I never see her after that?_ Sure, he had been only thirteen at the time, but surely he had been more loyal to his friend than to allow her to slip away from him merely because their social circles had suddenly become vastly different. She would have been taken to an orphanage, her parents were her only living family.

_Ah, well, _he thought, _questions and apologies for later tonight. We must have dinner together and catch up!_

Now he found himself finally backstage, having gotten there through doors and hallways that he had been directed to earlier that day when he had been here for rehearsal. It was as he turned one more corner, that he came upon the great majority of the cast from the night, all generally making a mess of the opera house and celebrating their success.

It was in the midst of the mess of costumes, loud voices, and alcohol that he spotted Quin and Embré. They were surprisingly easy to find, their somber formalwear contrasted greatly with the merry colors of the cast. He walked over to them, surprised to find that his odd sense of walking into his past extended to them as well.

They had been playmates when they were children. It was different from Bella in that he had never been in the same social class as these two; they had just played together as all young boys will, before status had any meaning whatsoever. There was an odd sense of nostalgia that came upon him as he remembered it. Still, as he walked up to the two old friends, he greeted them with a smile, Bella temporarily put out of his mind.

_First, I'll catch up with these two. It's been too long. _He mused to himself. "Quin, Embré! Marvelous performance tonight, really fabulous." He called out as he trotted over to the managers of the Opera Populaire.

They turned and greeted him with wide smiles and for an instant, Jacob wondered what would have happened if they hadn't had silly class distinctions to come between them.

- - -

Bella's voice had always astonished Rosalie. In fact, if she was perfectly honest with herself, there were times when she was jealous of her best friend's ability to sing. Of course, when she was being reasonable, Rose knew that she would never be willing to dedicate all the long hours and hours to her voice that Bella did, not to mention she would never be willing to put up with this whole odd situation with her tutor.

No, when Rosalie was being rational, she knew that she would never want to give up her own situation, her own strengths, likes, and dislikes. Still, watching Bella sing from the very depths of her soul up on stage, Rose had to admit that she had experienced one of her jealous moments. Bella had sounded so inhumanly beautiful up there on that stage dressed all in white. Almost like an angel.

She was working on her jealousy though, and was soon able to smile for her friend's accomplishments. _I have dance. _She thought and then applauded until her hands shone red in the lights from the stage.

Afterward, Rosalie fought through the mess of people to be the first to congratulate Bella to her face. She took with her congratulations from Esme, who had been standing off stage with her during Bella's final song, and a thumbs up and huge grin from Emmett that she assumed had meant to send good wishes to Bella. Of course, she hadn't been able to actually hear what he wanted her to say to Bella over the noise that filled the backstage areas. Well, that and the pack of chorus girls that were draped off of and around Emmett.

Surely they were claiming that they wanted him to tell them the scary stories of the Phantom of the Opera one more time. Yeah right. More like they wanted to get a little closer to that beautiful specimen of man that was Emmett McCarty. Rosalie rolled her eyes and tried to pretend that she didn't feel a sharp burn of jealousy in her gut, entirely different from the one with Bella.

_Forget about it Rose._ She told herself. _It doesn't matter. Now where could Bella be?_ She was certainly not in the midst of the impromptu party that was going on backstage. That was simply not Bella's style, and even if it was normally, Rose had a feeling that Bella was in too intense a mood to appreciate anything of the sort at this moment.

When her eyes lit upon a sign that said, 'Chapel' she instantly knew where she had been going when her feet carried her away from the party and the girls hanging all over Emmett. Of course. Bella would be up here, probably lighting a candle for her parents and giving in to her nostalgia of the moment.

_Well, here I come, Bella, _she thought, _to break up your mood._ She practically skipped up the stairs, before coming to an abrupt halt. She could swear she just heard something. And she was right. As she stood still, she could hear a voice lilting down the stairs to her. She relaxed and smiled. It was just Bella, singing that song that she liked so much. The one about the Angel of Music.

Rose was just about to continue up the stairs when the song ended and she froze again because she could swear that after Bella's last note she heard … something else. A haunting, male voice that whispered, "Brava" just barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

* * *

**A/N:** Hmm, I've decided that this chapter is fairly filler-y. Oh well, we'll get to the substance soon. Very soon. ;) Look for another update on Tuesday, if I'm not too carried away watching American Idol. I know, I know, it has no redeeming value, but watching all those weird people audition just makes me happier. Don't you have to admit that it makes you happy too? ;)

On another note, for those of you who are as big of Phantom Phans as I am, grab your soundtracks and listen to 'Think of Me' during this chapter. I listen to those songs practically on constant repeat while I write. Thanks for reading! It would make my day if you could drop me a comment, even just a word or two. The button has gotten bigger, so it's hard to miss. :)

**Next Time: **Rosalie and Bella discuss Bella's teacher and Bella makes a decision of her own.


	5. Angel of Music

**Previously: **Bella sang in the premier opera. Jacob realized that she was the girl he used to play with when they were kids and went to see her, but stopped to talk to the new managers first. Edward decided to bring her down to his home ... tonight.

**Music Note:** If you're a Phantom of the Opera Phan (which you certainly don't have to be, though it's amazing) consider listening to _Angel of Music_ before, during, or after this chapter. :-)

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 4**

**Angel of Music**

Was someone up there with Bella? Rose hurried her strides until she burst into the chapel, only to find it empty except for Bella. She was kneeling before an array of candles.

Well, of course she was alone. What had Rose been thinking? She shook her head almost imperceptibly. She must be tired. Imagining things. After all, she had heard enough cheers that night that they were surely ringing in her ears. How silly to think that someone was actually up here with Bella.

"Bella." She called out, walking over to stand beside her friend.

It must have been her imagination again, conjuring up ghosts. She shouldn't have thought poorly of those girls for making Emmett tell them the tale of the Phantom of the Opera again and again because she herself had obviously listened to it one too many times. She couldn't possibly have heard what she thought she had. It sounded like the same voice that she had heard earlier whispering through the air again, a quiet, "Bella …" that repeated after she said the name.

Nonsense. It was just her imagination or an echo in this stone room. She brushed it off as she placed her hand on Bella's shoulder, ready to congratulate her.

- - -

When Bella had gone offstage after performance, she hadn't wanted to talk to anyone. That was why she had slipped past the after party of sorts that was going on in the depths of the Opera Populaire, despite noticing Emmett, who would surely have had a few kind words and smiles for her.

No, right now she just wanted to get to the chapel and she did so with haste in her steps. Once there, in that cold, rock room decorated by a single stained glass window, she kneeled to the floor. Some part of her mind reproached her for getting her pretty dress dirty, but most of her thoughts were focused ahead on the candles.

She lit one, finally feeling peace wash over her. What a night. _Ah, Charlie. What would you have thought of me tonight?_ Part of her wanted to imagine that he would have been proud, that he was proud somewhere up in heaven as he watched her, but she knew that such a dream was probably not true. More likely, he would have scolded her for her living so dangerously. He would have considered the low levels of Parisian society extremely dangerous.

_But, Charlie, I'm just fulfilling my dreams. There isn't much else to do in this life, now that you're gone. People don't have many expectations for a nobody orphan. Besides, I need some way to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly._ Bella heard singing for a moment before she realized that it was herself.

"Angel of Music  
Guiding Guardian …"

She smiled faintly through the words. It was a fitting song for the occasion. This happened to be one of the very few songs she had known prior to entering the Opera Populaire five years ago. Her father had actually taught it to her. She and Charlie had never had an exceptionally close relationship, they were both too standoffish for that, but she still remembered late nights when she had come to him after nightmares and he had hummed her to sleep with this song.

Her smile widened as she remembered his out of tune and off key voice. It wouldn't have surprised her if he had been completely tone deaf, but those half-remembered songs in the night were still some of the most beautiful sounds that she had ever heard.

The last notes flowed from her lips and she sat in silence for a second before she thought she heard a voice … not just any voice, but a voice that she knew almost as well as her own. "Brava, brava."

Bella closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She wondered that she hadn't been able to sense that he was watching earlier. She must have truly been deep in memories, since usually she was able to tell when her secretive teacher came out from hiding to give her lessons with only his voice.

She didn't respond to him this time, even though it went against her new plans to discover more about the man or angel who had been teaching her for as long as she had been at the Opera Populaire. Ever since that first day here, when Esme had welcomed her to the chorus with a tentative smile, she had felt his presence.

Now though, as she went through lesson after lesson in her room, she found herself chafing at the limitations that having a mysterious and bodiless teacher imposed.

She had decided on her current attempts to draw him forth three weeks ago. They had gotten into an argument over her posture and he had refused to come to her in physical form to show her what she was doing wrong. The very fact that he had a body that could come forth had angered her.

What were they doing with this whole charade of a ghostly tutor if he could come to her physically and be a real teacher? If she started to think about it, it sometimes made her a little nervous with the possibilities. She knew, though, that her teacher would die before he hurt her.

But those musings of actually meeting him were beside the point and she had thought about them too often. At this moment, she only wanted to hear what he had to say about her performance that night. Perhaps she would continue on her plot to learn more about him by trying to engage him in talk of a more ordinary sort, things beyond just music lessons.

However, her planned responses had to be shelved when she heard her best friend and unofficial sister call out her name from behind her. "Bella." Rosalie said, quietly.

Bella took a moment to shake herself out of the trance of memory and thought, finally managing it as she heard her teacher say a quiet, "Bella …" She wondered if Rose had heard, what she would say if she had. No, she wouldn't say anything. Surely Rose would be convinced that it was her imagination.

She turned to her friend, putting thoughts of her teacher aside for later. She smiled, and replied, "Hello Rose. I'm surprised you aren't down below, perhaps having a drink with Emmett?" She grinned Rose, quirking her eyebrow. Bella had been suggesting that Emmett and Rosalie go down a path slightly more than friendship for as long as she had known the two of them. It was almost as long as Rose had been denying that there was any sort of basis for her accusations, all while smiling prettily and flirting outrageously with the handsome stagehand.

Rose rolled her eyes while somehow maintaining her perfect composure and waved the comment off. "I was looking for you. You're quite a difficult person to find you know. And all I wanted to do was congratulate you." Her voice took on a serious tone, "You were absolutely perfect up there Bella. It was breathtaking."

Bella blushed and dropped her eyes to the ground, but Rose continued before she could begin to protest the compliment. "I just wish you would tell me your secret, Bella. Who is your mysterious teacher?"

Rose had asked the question before, but always with a tone of a joke in her voice. This was not a joke. She was truly curious, and perhaps even just a bit worried. Although Bella didn't know it, this was probably the result of hearing strange voices on the way up to the chapel. Suddenly things seemed more serious.

Gazing straight at her friend, Bella thought about her answer before saying anything. Perhaps it _would_ be best to confide in someone. Another voice in her head whispered that perhaps it was best to keep it all to herself, it would sound insane, but the first voice won out. Rosalie was practically her sister, after all.

"Rose, have you ever had a story, a legend that got bigger than yourself. You told yourself a story over and over again and then all of a sudden it started to come true?" Bella couldn't continue looking Rose straight in the eye. She had to look at the candles burning in front of her. _I haven't lit one for Renée yet._ She thought, then reprimanded herself for such an off topic comment, even if it was only in her head.

Rosalie frowned, watching her friend closely. "Yes, I have." She replied.

Bella's head shot up to look at her friend. "What?" She asked, surprised that Rose knew what she was talking about.

Rose sighed lightly and said, "Bella, you're the one who's supposed to be spilling your secrets, but, well … I've heard of and told legends about the Phantom of the Opera since I was practically a baby. For as long as I can remember. They were always just old stories. You know, like fairy tales, except that Mother only told us them to scare us away from playing backstage or sneaking out at night.

"You weren't here then, so maybe it would seem hard to understand, but they were just stories in the beginning. It was only a year or two before you came that the letters started to appear. They were innocent enough at first. Billy Black ignored them. He thought they were some sort of prank. And then the weird things started to happen. For the first time ever at the Opera Populaire, scenery came crashing down at a performance when our former manager ignored the notes once too often. Notes appeared everywhere, people claimed to see a black cape swishing when they were alone backstage, music that people had left on a table would be moved to a chair, the tale of the Phantom was coming to life.

"Bella, that was one of the strangest experiences of my life," Rose drew her story to a close and her voice dropped to a near whisper, "I felt as though in some way, I had brought the Phantom to life. He had not existed when I was a child and now, now, somehow, he was there."

Bella probably would have been more awed by the story if she had actually believed in the 'Phantom of the Opera'. As it was, she thought that in many ways, Rose's story held the truth: that the story had spawned the delusion, the superstition, and the prankster who sent the notes. Bella personally thought that it was all Emmett trying to be funny.

She wasn't sure that that was the best lead in to her own story though, because she was absolutely certain that her tutor was not a delusion. _Then again, I'm sure that delusional people do not know that they are in the midst of a delusion when one happens._

She shook off the distracting train of thought and began slowly. "I guess it's sort of similar to that then. When I was little, my dad used to tell me stories about an 'Angel of Music.'"

Rose nodded in comprehension, "The one that you sing about."

"Yes," Bella nodded, "I mean, Rose, don't think I'm crazy or anything, after all, I never believed in his stories. But, oh, Rose, after he was shot, I saw Charlie one last time. He was feverish and dying and I probably shouldn't have been allowed to see him at all, but I did and I will never forget the way he looked at me.

"He stared at me and said, 'Bella, when I'm up there, I'll send the Angel of Music back down for you.' And then the servants all hustled me out of the room and very quickly I was on my way to an orphanage."

Rose was paying attention to the story, but found her mind wandering a little. What did this have to do with her friend's teacher?

"When I was there," Bella blushed at the honesty of her next statement, "I had never felt so abandoned in my life. I clung to music with all my might, but even that seemed to have abandoned me as day after week after month passed by without any word from the angel that Charlie had promised to send me. I was only eleven, you know, and I believed in his dying words with all of my heart.

"Then …" Bella hesitated to tell the next part, this was where she was concerned that Rose would worry for her sanity, "Then, I came here. I ran away from the orphanage after a year of failed hopes and dreams and found myself in a world of music. I don't know if I ever told you, but the thing that drew me here was Jessica's voice."

Rose's eyes widened and she covered up a laugh, "That shriek led you here?" She exclaimed.

Bella smiled and then became slightly more serious. "Yes. Imagine, if Jessica hadn't been quite so shrill, perhaps I would never have found the Opera Populaire."

They shared a grin, and then Bella returned to her story. "I snuck in and found myself in a room backstage, eventually. Jessica had stopped singing and I was utterly lost. I was close to crying myself to sleep when Esme came to me, picked me up and carried me to the rooms with the chorus girls and you."

Rosalie nodded, she had heard this part of the story before. Bella continued. "It was as though Charlie's words were finally, finally coming true. I was in a paradise of song and music the likes of which I had never dared to dream of. And then it happened." She paused, trying to decide how best to phrase it.

"I was alone in our room one day, well, the room that is mine now, but that we shared then, do you remember?" Rose nodded and Bella went on, "When I heard a voice. It sounded far away but, oh Rose, it was, it was …" She flushed, "I have never heard such a beautiful voice in my entire life. It was a man's voice and he was singing my song, 'Angel of Music.'"

Rosalie's eyes were wide with shock. Bella couldn't possibly be serious! But Bella herself was lost in her tale. "He spoke to me, told me that he would teach me to sing better, if I wanted. And Rose," Bella turned her eyes to her near-sister, pleading with her to understand, "to my 12-year-old self, it was so obvious what was happening, who he was, that it was amazing I didn't throw myself at his feet at that moment … not that I even thought he had feet. I simply knew that this was my Angel of Music who had finally come to me. I took him up on his offer without hesitation."

Rose was very worried for her friend now. Mysterious male voices, disembodied and wanting to teach a girl of twelve how to sing? What shocked Rose the most, though, was that Bella had never told her any of this before. However, before she could interrupt, Bella was moving on in the story.

"He would only come once a month or so, not very often, and he didn't talk to me very much then. Sometimes he would leave in the middle of a lesson." Bella's voice was a whisper and her face was a constant shade of red. It wasn't in her nature to tell anyone such private secrets, even if it was her best friend, and she felt almost ashamed to reveal a secret that she had kept for so long.

"When I was about 15, I had a revelation." She continued, fighting back the embarrassment. "I realized, quite with a start and in the middle of a lesson that my Angel may not actually be an angel after all. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never even considered the possibility that my teacher could actually be a real person."

Bella sighed quietly. "It was probably very naïve of me to not even suspect such a thing for three years. I was conflicted and tried to stay away from him, but at that point, I _had_ trusted him for three years. He had proved that he was worthy of my trust, whether he was inhuman or a mere mortal, so my avoidance of him didn't last long. Since then, I've been having lessons on and off about once a week."

Her confession was over, and she felt a great wave of relief crash over her. She had finally told someone the secrets she had been keeping for five years. She peeked up at Rose's face to try and measure the extent of the damage that had been done by the shock of her story.

"Bella," Rose breathed, "Bella, have you really been having lessons with a man you don't even know is human for the past five years? You don't know his name, you know nothing about him, and you have never even seen him?"

Bella blushed violently, but she fought to answer in spite of it. "Yes. I just, I never questioned our relationship in the beginning and then when it finally occurred to me that I should, it seemed like it was too late for any doubts about him."

"Bella, are you sure you're feeling all right? If this is all some elaborate joke, I will hit you." Rose looked concerned, but Bella worried that her concern seemed to pertain more to Bella's own state of mind and sanity rather than to the concerns that her story brought up.

"Rose," she interrupted Rosalie's thoughts of Bella's insanity, "this is true." Bella hesitated again, reluctant to bring up something that was only a half-formed notion gathered from small gestures over years. "And, and I think that Esme knows something about it."

Rosalie was shaken from her stupor by that news. "What? My mother knew that there was a man … a _something_ teaching you and she … she …"

"I don't know that!" Bella hurried to say, "It's just, just a feeling I get sometimes. And, and Carlisle." Bella was very reluctant to speak these thoughts out loud, but she did trust Rosalie, even though she hadn't told her all this ever before.

"What about Carlisle?" Rose demanded, not wanting anything more to be withheld at this point.

Carlisle was … well, Rose didn't like to think about it very much. Not because she didn't like the man, she just didn't exactly approve of what he was to her mother. They weren't married, but Rose often thought that they should be. They acted enough like a married couple at times to bring a small blush even to Rose's cheeks. After all, there was something about your parent having a romance that was simply disconcerting. And there was something … something off about Carlisle. She could never have said exactly what it was but … well, he was a bit odd.

She smashed down those thoughts as quickly as possible though. _Don't be ridiculous. Carlisle has always been perfectly polite. He's just … just too pale. _She almost laughed at the words in her head, and decidedly turned her attention away from those thoughts.

"What about Carlisle?" She asked again, for Bella hadn't answered.

"Nothing, nothing." Bella asked with a blush, "It's just a feeling, don't mind me."

Rose wasn't so quick to disregard. "Bella if you think you know something about Carlisle or Esme …"

Bella brushed her words aside. "No, no, Rose, it's nothing, just that, well … sometimes it feels like they know what's happening when they look at me. I can't explain it anymore than that and I know it sounds ridiculous."

Rosalie frowned at Bella's dismissive words. "Like when, Bella?" She asked, sure that there was more to this than a feeling. There was something about that man …

"Oh, I don't know." Bella regretted mentioning the subject. She should have known that bringing up Carlisle was a sure fire way to make Rose not drop the subject. "Like today, when Esme told the managers that I could sing the part. How did she know that? I certainly haven't told her about it. And then she mentioned my teacher … Carlisle does things like that sometimes too."

Rose was going to continue on this vein, when she noticed that the candle Bella had lit when she first arrived here had almost burned all of its wax.

"Oh!" She cried, "Bella, we've been up here forever. And you must be exhausted." Rose gave her feelings of jealousy an almighty shove and continued, "Because you were absolutely and inhumanly beautiful up there on that stage. Impossible angel teacher or stalking human one aside, your voice is indescribable."

Bella flushed the deepest red she had been all night, which was saying something. She had never taken compliments particularly well. "Yeah, well … thanks" she muttered as she led the way down the stairs to their rooms.

The two had remained relatively silent on the walk to their beds, both thinking about the conversation they had just had. They came to Bella's room first, and Rosalie turned to her before she could leave to bed and hugged her tightly.

"Bella," she said in her friend's ear, "be careful, alright? I'm worried about you."

Bella smiled at her friend's words and nodded before replying, "Good-night Rose."

Rosalie walked off to her own room, but kept glancing back at the room she had left behind. She had a very bad feeling about everything she had been told tonight. A horrible feeling and she didn't know what to do about it.

- - -

Bella sighed deeply and dropped into the chair near her bed. She surveyed her room briefly, gazing again at the thing that her eyes had been immediately drawn to when she first stepped inside. Right beside her door was a huge pile of flowers, filling the room with an almost sickly sweet scent.

_For me?!_ Had been her first thoughts as she saw all of them. Then it had simply all become too much and she had to sit down. It had been an exhausting night. She sighed again. The rest of her room looked so small when compared to that intimidating stack of flowers. Her bed was dwarfed and the chair and small bookcase felt rather miniscule. The only thing that still felt large, as it always did, was the mirror on the far end of the wall.

That was an exaggeration of course. This was a big room and the flowers didn't fill that much space. She tried to convince herself of this as she wished fervently that her admirers hadn't felt the need to express their feelings with gifts. She didn't like gifts very much.

Finally, in an attempt to distract herself, she picked up the book she was reading. Pride and Prejudice. It was one of her favorites and always capable of picking her up out of any dire mood. She was just about to actually get into the novel, when she noticed a splash of color on her desk out of the corner of her eye.

Curious, she got up to investigate. There, sitting on the small desk was a single red rose tied with a black silk ribbon.

It was from her mystery teacher. She knew that beyond any shadow of a doubt. She picked it up and noticed that all the thorns were cut off, so she could slide her hand up and down the stem. It was beautiful. She couldn't even muster up much of her usual ire about gifts because so much care had obviously been put into it.

_I will find out more about you, my angel._ She thought to herself as she held the rose. _You can count on that. It's been too long that I've let you go unquestioned. _

And with that final, determined thought, Bella heard a knock on her door that startled her into dropping her rose.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so a day later than expected, but these stupid finals are eating up all my time. I'm sure many of you know just what I'm talking about from prior experience. I know you all want some Edward and Bella goodness, but be patient! Soon you'll have so much Edward and Bella for a while that you won't know what to do with it all! Trust me. For now, drop me a line! They make my life happier! You all know how awful this time of year is, do your good deed for the day! ;-) Thanks for reading.

**Next Time: **Bella has a visitor, Jessica makes a visit, and Esme reflects.


	6. Old Friends

**Previously: **Bella told Rosalie about her Angel of Music who she thinks is just a man. Bella decided that she will confront him about it tonight. Then, someone knocked on the door.

**Music Note: **Although once again not required, if you own the musical (not movie) or the collector's edition movie soundtrack then this chapter would be _Little Lotte_. Don't go into _The Mirror_ yet though. ;-)

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 5**

**Old Friends**

Bella frowned at the second knock. She bent down to pick up the rose she had dropped and placed it gently back on her desk before turning towards the door. "One moment!" She called. She caressed, ever so briefly, the deep red petals of the flower and then the black silk ribbon that was almost as soft before moving to the door.

She unlatched it cautiously. Was it Esme, come to congratulate her with cryptic remarks? Or Rose, finally finding something more to say about the revelations that she had made? When she finally got the door open, the person standing behind it was anything but.

The man standing in her doorway was someone that she hadn't seen face to face in six years, but one that she still recognized as if it had just been yesterday. Although his hair was longer and his boyish looks had matured some, he had exactly the same eyes as always, still shining with a childish smile. "Jake!" She breathed, before her sense of propriety could halt the familiar nickname.

The smile in his eyes spread to his lips in an instant and Bella found herself smiling back automatically. His broad grin was too infectious to resist. "Bella!" He exclaimed. He looked as though he was considering giving her a giant hug, but resisted out a learned sense of what was proper. "It's been far, far too long."

She kept smiling at him, feeling decorum fall by the wayside in the face of his sparklingly familiar eyes. "You look the same as ever!"

He kept smiling, "As soon as I realized that it was you out there tonight, it brought back all the old times. Remember?"

"Of course! The days in your house in the attic? Your sisters, you, and I all reading scary stories about werewolves and vampires until we couldn't sleep for the nightmares?"

Jacob grabbed her hand, unable to resist, and brought her over to the chair she had been sitting in before she answered the door. He crouched beside her. "Yes, the Third Wife and the Cold Ones. Our parents would have killed us if they had known. And those days on the beach."

Bella gave another smile, but this one was more detached. Ah, how she longed for those days when the stories had been as simple as that. Just stories. Days when she hadn't had to try to tell delusion and fantasy from the reality of a tutor she had never seen. "How are Rachel and Rebecca?" She said, trying to focus on the conversation.

Jake grinned again in delight. "They're great. Rebecca's having a baby in … a few months, I can't remember exactly. And Rachel's engaged."

Well, that certainly focused her. "Engaged and married?!" Bella asked, amazed. "They were just a few years older than me though!"

Jacob laughed. "Well, that's how it is for us, Bella. Don't worry about them, I've never seen either of them happier."

Bella mused over the newfound information, remembering the two girls who had once been her friends. Rebecca was having a baby? Incredible.

Meanwhile, Jake had kept up his stream of reminiscence. "I didn't recognize you at all when I first saw you, you know. I mean, I remember that you always had an unbelievable voice, but still, tonight you were … ah!" He nudged her arm and smiled that wide grin again. "I've missed you. We need to have dinner together tonight! I can tell you all the details about my sisters and my parents and you can tell me about how all of this happened." He waved a vague hand around him, referring apparently to the opera house as a whole.

Bella frowned slightly at his claim that he would never have imagined that she would actually make it to an opera house. Back when she had been a daughter of society his incredulity would have been natural, the early weddings of his sisters would have been natural. It surprised her how far she had come from those days.

Despite not feeling like she completely belonged with him anymore, Bella was sorely tempted to follow through with his invitation and go to dinner with him. It would be nice to spend just one night with no worries beyond those superficial ones given to high society. Jake obviously hadn't changed much and he had always been sweet.

In fact, she was about to agree to his suggestion when she turned her hand and it brushed against the rose still sitting on her desk. She rushed back into the present with a bang. "Oh, Jake." She started, trying to think of a way to politely refuse, "I'm exhausted from the performance and – "

"Nonsense!" He replied jovially, bouncing fully to his feet and taking her hand again as if to pull her along with him. "You'll wake right up when you get some food in you Bells."

She started at the nickname she hadn't heard in years. She gave him a soft smile for remembering, but pressed on. She was determined to get some alone time talking to her teacher and it was going to happen tonight, while she still retained the convictions that singing and talking to Rose had given her.

Actually, maybe it would be best if she pushed the blame off onto her teacher. "Jake, my vocal tutor is very strict and he would never let me go out after straining my voice in a performance."

This was only partially a lie. Her teacher would certainly not approve of such actions, but she was fairly sure he would never actually say that he disapproved. He had too much respect for her personal boundaries to interfere some things in her life, whether he approved or not. Still, she knew that if he had his way, she would be safely tucked into bed at 8 o'clock every night, only coming out to go to practice and eat. Her teacher, from what little she knew about him in terms of personality, was extremely overprotective.

"Bella!" Jake said, exasperated, "Blow the man off for once! You just had your premier show. That deserves some celebration, right?"

This was a good argument. It was a pity that her idea of celebration was more along the lines of finally getting some long wondered questions answered about the man who taught her to sing rather than chatting with Jake. "Some other time Jake." And then, to solidify the rejection, she changed the subject. She didn't want to dwell too long on her refusal to go to dinner with him. "Do you remember the stories about the Angel of Music that my Dad used to tell us?"

Bella was surprised by the words that she heard coming out of her own mouth. She couldn't have just said that! She had been looking for another memory to share with him, and most likely the stories she had just been telling Rose had come to mind. She did have the whole subject on the brain, after all.

Jacob looked disappointed about dinner, but was too much of a gentleman to keep on the subject when she so obviously wanted him to stop. He thought back to try to remember the stories that she was referring to. Charlie Swan had told them quite a few tales. It was his way of keeping them occupied, handing down the stories that he had been told by his father and his father before that. Charlie had never been particularly creative on his own.

But yes, he remembered the stories. He initially thought it was a bit of an odd memory to bring up, but then he remembered what exactly it was that she did for a living now and blushed lightly at having forgotten. He replied, "I remember. Bella, you have truly been visited by the Angel of Music. There is no other explanation for such beautiful sound." He looked at her fondly.

Bella felt her mouth turn up at the corners at the irony of his statement. "Yes, I have been visited by the Angel of Music." She replied, amusement coloring the edges of her tone, though she wasn't really in a mood to be amused.

She yawned theatrically at this point, wanting Jacob out of her room. Yes, she wanted to catch up with her former best friend, but there were more pressing matters on her mind at this point.

Jacob looked disappointed, but soon had restored himself to his usual spirits. "Bella," he said, as he rose, leaving her hand behind this time, "we will catch up soon. Promise me! And now I'll leave you to your tyrant of a vocal tutor and your rest."

Then he bent down again, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. Bella was surprised at how good his hug felt. He was warm and solid and so reassuringly real. She hugged him back briefly, before Jake caught himself and pulled back.

He smiled at her and then spoke, changing the subject from their hug. "Who is this teacher of yours anyway? He must be good, although he had outstanding materials to work with when it came to you."

Bella didn't even know how to begin answering him. "Yes," she finally said, lamely, "he's very good." _A genius._ She said in her own mind, but really the less that was said about all of that, the better for all their sakes. It was probably best if few people knew her secret of her mysterious, bodiless teacher. That meant not even Jake.

He began to leave the room and then turned around once more. Jacob looked back at the beautiful girl that had once been one of his best friends, his childhood playmate, and smiled sweetly. She was so stunning. "Good-night, Bella." He called back to her quietly. Then he shut the door behind him, feeling rather like he was in the midst of an odd dream that had been going on all night. Isabella Swan. It had been a long time.

- - -

Jessica was not willing to allow risks. She needed the lifestyle that she had become accustomed to: leading lady at the Opera Populaire. Risks or dangers to that style of life could not be permitted.

Isabella Swan was such a danger.

Walking out on the new managers right before the premier had been a mistake. She saw that now. In her defense, she had intended it to work out much differently. In her plan, they would have had to cancel the premier and come begging back to her as they always did. _It all worked out very poorly, actually_, she thought, disgruntled.

Where the hell had this Swan girl come from? A chorus girl? Ridiculous! And yet, Jessica had lingered outside the opera house after the performance and there had been nothing but praise pouring from the lips of the audience members.

A few had even been so bold as to mention her own name as one far inferior to the chorus girl. What horrible, disgusting lies!

But it was the very mention of such an idea that had forced her out here to be where she was at this very moment. Jessica's past was full of the dark streets of Paris, a past which meant that even the pampered diva knew where to go when she really wanted something done right.

She called out to the driver of her carriage to halt when they had reached a street that was particularly dirty, a street that rats scurried along when she got out of the carriage in her dress and high heels.

The stench was unspeakable and the waste that lined the gutters was best not examined closely. It was a good thing that it was dark. Although that made the rats even more bold, it meant that the broken down and pest filled building fronts that lined the street were only faintly illuminated by a dim and far off street light.

However, Jessica stepped up to the building directly across from her carriage as though she couldn't even see the garbage. She was too far gone in outrage over the nobody who had ripped her part away from her to pay attention to that which would have made her scowl and complain if she had noticed.

Two steps took her up to the door of the building and she rapped on the door with her knuckles impatiently. It was nearing midnight, but she knew that the people in this house would be awake. It seemed like they always were.

She stood in silence for a moment and then rapped again, even more sharply and yelled out in accompaniment, "Hello! Open up!"

This time, her call was answered. The door was unlatched and opened by a woman holding a candle. This woman somehow managed to look superior and haughty even with a dress that was little more than rags and hair that was matted with knots and dirt. Her face was smudged with dark substances that Jessica didn't want to think about. The most disturbing things about her though were her piercing eyes. They were brilliant, blood red.

Jessica had seen Victoria a thousand times, but those eyes still sent a chill up her back every time she saw them. Victoria's lips curled when she saw who was at the door. "Jessica." She said with a nod.

"I need to talk to James." Jessica said tersely.

"About?" Victoria replied lazily. She showed no inclination to invite Jessica in off the doorstep, and in fact Jessica was happy to remain there, not wanting to go too far inside the dark building.

"A business matter." Jessica said, tapping her toe, the first sign that she was getting impatient. "Is he in?"

Victoria eyed her up and down in a way that made Jessica shiver again. It was just a shade too much like she was a potential meal. Finally, Victoria sighed and relaxed against the door. "James!" She called out behind her.

A man joined her at the doorstep so quickly that Jessica could have convinced herself it was magic. She resolved not to think about it too closely, the same way she tried not to think about most things regarding this pair. He whispered something inaudible to Victoria and she swept one last disparaging look over Jessica before sweeping around and walking back through her disgusting house as if she were a queen instead of a gutter rat.

"Jessica!" James began, his voice soft like a predator. It almost made her shiver again, and his red eyes that matched Victoria's made her cringe a little when he turned them to focus fully on her. "It's been a long time."

Jessica smiled a tiny smile at him and replied. "James, there's a girl."

"Is there?" He asked, slowly.

She nodded. "Her name is Isabella Swan and she works as a chorus girl at the Opera Populaire. I want her taken care of." Jessica's voice had gone blunt and dropped to a whisper.

He smiled a disturbingly happy sort of grin. "My price is the same as always." He reminded her.

Jessica pulled a tight wad of bills from her voluminous dress that seemed comically out of place on this grimy street. She handed them to him and said, "There's more when it's done." James flipped through the stack and then looked back up at her.

"I'll take care of it. Don't worry."

Jessica nodded at him curtly and then turned her back on the whole mess. She hurried back to her carriage and encouraged the driver to go quickly with sharp words. She didn't spare a single glance backwards.

- - -

Esme sat in her room and worried. She found herself at this occupation more and more often lately as issues became increasingly complicated. She slowly removed her hat and took down her hair, readying herself for bed. She had just taken a carriage out to the hospital to see Carlisle and his news was enough to give her even more cause for worry.

Alice and Jasper were both in town. She remembered them vividly from the last time she had seen the two of them, although she hadn't gotten the chance to actually say much. That had been just after she had met Carlisle through Edward, when their relationship was just beginning.

Alice and Jasper had been away in the country since then because Jasper found city life too difficult. Carlisle told her that he was new to their lifestyle. Esme remembered worrying back then that Carlisle would leave with them, a fear that had sparked one of the first serious conversations she had held with him about their relationship.

Two years ago she had barely spoken to either of them, but after years of hearing their stories and how important they were to Carlisle she felt as if they were practically her own children already, never mind the fact that she had never really met them.

_I'm glad that I'm going to meet them finally. Really I am …_ The thoughts that rang through her mind were the absolute truth, but she was so nervous! What if they didn't like her? She was the reason that Carlisle hadn't come with them two years ago, after all. She wasn't sure she could handle a rejection from the people she saw as her children.

Alice and Jasper. Well, she was definitely going to meet them again now. Carlisle said that they were planning on staying in town indefinitely. She wondered if Carlisle had been as nervous when he had met Bella and Rosalie for the first time.

They were Carlisle's closest family, his children really, and that made her nervous about meeting them in a very teenage, 'meet-the-parents' type way.

She decided to turn her mind to a different issue, seeing as there was absolutely nothing she could do about that now.

Edward and Bella. What on earth was going to happen there? And what should she do about it? What _could_ she do about it? Even if she could do something, maybe it was best to leave it all alone.

She felt torn. On the one hand, every time she saw Edward she grew more and more maternal towards him. Something about him made her want to hug him. The boy simply needed a mother figure. On the other hand, Bella was her daughter in every way except in blood and she knew that this mess with Edward was very dangerous, no matter what Edward intended.

_I wish they could just both be human and be happy together. _She thought, ridiculously and nostalgically. _Why does it have to be so hard?_ Now her thoughts were edging dangerously back toward her own situation.

She stood up from her bed suddenly and shook off the waves of thoughts that had overcome her. _This is nonsense. It's no use sitting here worrying about it all._ With that thought firmly in mind, she walked out of her own room to do a nightly patrol.

For once all the girls seemed to be obediently in their beds and free from revelry or flirtatious stagehands. She smiled faintly as she thought of Emmett McCarthy and her own daughter. One of these days … she was happy for them. If she actually said anything, Rose would throw a fit, but she didn't have to. Some of the glances they shared were tense enough to set the opera house ablaze.

It was good for her to get out of her room, nice to breathe some fresh air and to revel in the ordinary romance of her daughter. _I'll be a grandmother one day._ She thought and her smile widened even more.

Suddenly a figure came wandering down the hallway that she walked along. He was carrying a candle that illuminated his face and she recognized him as the Vicomte de La Pushe.

"Vicomte!" She cried out to him. "Wherever are you headed at this time of the night?"

Jacob swung around with a relieved grin on his face. "Ah … I'm not quite sure. I've gotten completely lost. Madame … ?"

"Esme Hale. I saw you earlier today at your introduction. I run the ballet." Esme said, cautiously. She found herself quite hesitant at being ripped from such personal thoughts.

"Really?" Jacob said, finding himself more interested in the whole opera business than he had ever been before after seeing Bella again. "It was wonderful tonight. Bella especially …" He trailed off, then seemed to realize that his use of Bella's nickname might seem too familiar to the woman who was essentially her boss.

"Er …" He strove to correct himself, "Bella and I knew each other as children. Our parents were friends."

"I see." Esme said. "Well, I can show you to the door. Do you have a carriage waiting?"

Jacob nodded vigorously and they both set off through the halls. He searched his mind as they walked for a suitable train of conversation, but nothing came to mind except Bella after spending so much time thinking about her this evening. Luckily for him, Esme seemed to have his relationship to Bella on her mind as well.

"Were you good friends with Bella?" She asked abruptly after walking down one corridor and turning.

Lengthening his strides to keep up with her fast pace, Jacob replied. "Uh, well, I suppose so. We spent a lot of time together. But it was a while ago."

"Hm." Esme said, noncommittally.

Jacob was eager to offer more though. "I tried to get her to come to dinner with me tonight, but her vocal tutor is apparently too strict." He smiled at Esme as though to share the humor of a dictator tutor.

"Well, her tutor has done well, whatever he has done." She said, her tone steady.

"Oh, of course! Of course." Jacob hurried to say.

They arrived at the lobby of the opera house at that moment though, so further conversation was necessarily brought to a halt.

"Well." Jacob said, slightly at a loss for what to say. "I'm sure I'll see you later then."

Giving him a searching look, Esme finally replied, "Yes. Good-bye Vicomte."

Jacob rushed away and Esme was left with her own thoughts again as she walked much more slowly back to her room. Such a good friend to Bella that he immediately wanted to go to dinner with her? Could things get more complicated? She had thought that to be impossible just half an hour earlier.

_Maybe he's nothing._ She thought, although she doubted it even as she thought it. No, there was something inside her that screamed that things were about to become even more difficult.

* * *

**A/N: **Here you go, a chapter instead of the APUSH flashcards that I should be making. You're the reason I'm not studying right now. Be proud that you exert so much influence ;-) I would be very grateful for any and all reviews! Thank you so much for reading and special thanks to those who have also added favorites or reviewed.

About this chapter, pay attention to James, he's going to become important eventually. About next chapter, I'm sure everyone will be overjoyed to hear this. It will be Edward and Bella's first meeting. Think the scene in the movie and I hope that you'll like what I do with it. Now, I'm going back to studying. Thanks again for reading.

**Next Time: **Edward and Bella meet face to face.


	7. Face to Face

**Previously:** Bella reunited with Jake, but wouldn't go to dinner with him. Jessica went to talk with James and Esme chatted with Jake. And, as I'm sure no one has forgotten, Edward has plans to meet Bella face to face tonight. :-)

**Music Note:** Although in the musical and movie this scene would certainly be _The Phantom of the Opera_, that's not really what this chapter is based on because (most importantly) Bella has no clue that Edward is the Phantom of the Opera. That's a point you might want to remember. Back on topic, I say enjoy this chapter without the music.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 6**

**Face to Face**

Bella collapsed back against the chair after Jake left. She mused that dinner probably would have been nice, but she had other things to worry about tonight. She picked up her rose again and began twirling it in her fingers, thinking. She wanted to plan out exactly what she wanted to ask her tutor, but it was too difficult. It all depended on what he said and … and she just couldn't figure out the right words. She hoped that something would come to her when it came time to actually talk.

A few minutes passed while she studied her rose. It was perfect, of course, and she found herself wondering absentmindedly where he had gotten it. She couldn't picture her mystical teacher walking into a florist, but then, she couldn't picture her teacher at all, so that wasn't saying too much.

She couldn't spend too long dwelling on what he actually looked like though, because it gave her a headache. The whole mystery of his existence was strange enough for her; she couldn't make it more concrete than that.

After another ten minutes, a something occurred to her that she should have considered earlier. What if he didn't come to speak to her tonight? She flushed lightly when she realized that she hadn't even thought about that. How self-centered of her. He surely had better things to do with his time than to come to give her compliments. And he _had_ sent this rose. Maybe that was all she should have expected.

She blushed a deeper red for all the presumptions that her plans had made, and then frowned as an overwhelming sense of disappointment washed over her. After all the mental prep she had been rehearsing in her mind all day, here she finally was and he had stolen the chance away from her.

In her moment of humiliation she got up and began pulling off her skirts from the stage costume, not caring where they landed. She had lost her chance. She would never be able to work up the same amount of confidence she had had this night. There was nothing like one's first starring performance in an opera to make them able to do tremendous things.

This was, without doubt, a tremendous thing.

Already, self-doubt was beginning to creep up on her. Maybe she was wrong to question her teacher. Maybe it was best to leave things at the status quo. It had worked well that way so far, after all. Maybe … maybe …

A wave of exhaustion swept over her and she pulled on a silky, sheer robe that Rose had gotten her one year for Christmas. She left the rest of her outfit on, too tired to do much more, and collapsed into bed. Fortunately for her piece of mind, she slipped almost immediately off to sleep. Her last thought barely had anything to do with her teacher, surprisingly. It was that she found it practically impossible to believe that it had only been one day.

- - -

Another half hour ticked by as Bella slept, blissfully unaware of the mental struggle that was going on while she did so. Edward stood directly behind the two-way mirror that hung so grandly in Bella's room and stared in at her, indecisively unable to come to a solid conclusion about what to do now.

Earlier today, it had seemed impossible for him not to approach her tonight. As he had watched her sing, she had drawn him to an extent that he couldn't imagine not physically meeting her tonight. But now, on the actual precipice of such a momentous decision, he found himself torn in two by guilt.

Could he really risk her life so easily? She was safe now. Well, not completely. This glass would provide little barrier for him if he wanted to do her harm, but she was much safer than she would be if he were to approach her as he had planned and tempt himself with closeness.

Could he really be selfish enough to need more than he already got from her? How could he be selfish enough to endanger her farther just to satisfy his own craving for her company?

But how could he not? Another part of his mind begged to be allowed to meet her face to face. She was so beautiful, so impossibly breathtaking. Her song tonight …

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, about to take the step forward into her room, when the scent of her blood floated in to taunt him and he froze again.

The arguments against came rushing back as he felt the urge to enter her room, but for much more nefarious purposes than he had originally intended. The back of his throat burned and he froze once more in indecision.

He closed his eyes briefly. He had been here for almost an hour! He had arrived just as she had thrown herself into her bed and she had fallen asleep as he waited here unsure about his decision! Was he going to do something or not?

He wished he could hear her thoughts. Maybe if he knew what she thought of the whole issue, what she wanted, he could act with less guilt. Then again, she didn't know the whole story. She didn't know what a monster he was. So perhaps insight into her thoughts wouldn't help him overly much.

Edward drew in a deep breath, enveloping himself in her scent. He had fed well earlier this afternoon with Jasper, even managing to find a bear, something quite rare for the region, and six years of slowly built-up defenses against her had made him more immune to her fragrance than he would have dreamed possible those first few days. Now he was able to enjoy the bouquet without actually tasting the wine, so to speak.

This bolstered his courage and he was leaning over to the side of entering into her room and taking that meaningful step forward when he heard something from her room. Was Bella awake? He paid more attention now.

"Angel …" her voice was little more than a whisper, and the name was not one that could be solely applied to him. After all, he would be the first to deny that he was any sort of angel, but something within him knew that Bella was talking about him.

Without any further thought on the subject, he stepped forward and slid open the glass of the mirror.

Edward took the steps that led him to her bedside without thinking about them. It was as though he was merely watching himself walk forward, not like he was directing the action.

Then he was closer to Bella than he had been in his entire existence. He had expected to feel thirst when he was close enough reach out and kill her with barely a thought, but the thirst was the last thing on his mind in that first moment of shocked staring.

She was so beautiful. He hadn't expected to be so blown away by her perfection. Skin pale and perfect enough that she could have been a vampire like himself. The sharp contrasts of her dark brown curls and eyelashes that brushed her porcelain cheeks. He hardly dared let himself examine her body, displayed by the sheets that twisted tightly around her, but Edward had little control over what he did now.

While his eyes wandered to places that would have made him blush a brilliant red if he had been human, Bella shifted restlessly and he was hit with an overwhelming wave of her scent.

Immediately, he was back in control of his movements. He tensed and moved backwards a step before freezing in place. Oh god, how easy it would be to simply bite into that gorgeous, pale throat and … and … _never be able to live with yourself again. And kill Bella._

The urge passed faster than he would have imagined with this idea firmly in mind. In the back of his head, Edward asked himself, _Why am I doing this again? _But it was only a whisper of a thought. The decision had been made, for better or worse. The only thing left to do was follow through.

He was lost in contemplation just as he had been behind the mirror, so Edward was startled when he felt heat against his fingertips. He stared in shock to find his fingers caressing Bella's cheek. _Impossible._ _I didn't let them do that! _The outraged note in his thoughts was ridiculous of course, the offenders were his own appendages after all, but their rebellion was so sudden that he could hardly believe it had been done under a command from his own mind.

His touch on her face was feather light to him and he couldn't even feel her skin through the gloves he wore. _It's not enough_, the human man in him complained loudly. However, he had to remember how delicate she was. _Not that I need much reminding. _She looked so perfectly delicate. She was, she was …

Edward's fingers traced along Bella's jaw line and something snapped inside of him. A line that he had refused to cross for five long years was suddenly being shattered into a million pieces.

_I didn't want to see her face to face?_ The arguments that had filled his mind for the past day, week, even months and years had abruptly vanished as he touched his angel. There was one single moment of clarity when Edward's course was irrevocably set. There were no two ways at this point. He had passed the point of no return.

As if seconding his final thought, Bella responded to his caress at last. She leaned into his hand, let out a sound that was unmistakably a moan, and opened her eyes to stare straight up at him.

- - -

He was without a doubt or exception the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. As Bella looked up at her angel in awe, she wondered vaguely if she was still in a dream or if she had awoken. She couldn't tell the difference.

The man before her was flawless. He had bronze hair that fell with wild abandon wherever it would, pale and perfect skin, and piercing eyes that glowed a brilliant gold. He wore all black, formal clothes that might have looked out-of-place on anyone else, but he was born to wear them. She was startled by his age. Whenever she had envisioned her angel, he had always been years older than her, middle-aged even. This man before her was only around twenty.

She stared up into his eyes, locked into them and away from her perusal of his body. He seemed, miraculously, to be just as transfixed by her as she was by him. Bella was almost flustered by the intensity she found while locked in his gaze. Any hesitations she might have had over whether this perfect stranger was truly her angel were lost and new ones were gained. Was she ready to face him head on? Face his passion? Could she really equal him in any way? Bella felt so small in the face of perfection. What was she to this angel?

Over the past couple of years she had begun to imagine that her angel might truly be just an ordinary man. Now that she was seeing him, she realized how very wrong she had been. Her angel of music was certainly no 'ordinary man.'

It was only when she began to feel light-headed that Bella realized she wasn't breathing. She gasped in air, closing her eyes for an instant when she took in his scent on the breath she took in. Perhaps he was an angel after all. He certainly looked and smelled like one. She exhaled and let out whisper to break the tense silence. "Angel."

- - -

Edward had imagined his first meeting with Bella many times. Each time would differ depending on his mood. In his darker moments, it had been seeing her eyes right before he ripped into her throat and killed her. In his happier, more humane moments it had been a hesitant and gentle introduction to the fact that he was corporeal, if not human, and his introduction would only be so he could teach her more easily.

Then sometimes, there were moments when his selfish side would take over, like after she had sung a song he had written for her, or when she looked particularly beautiful, he would imagine human passion.

It those dark and selfish fantasies, he would use the gifts that vampires had. His looks, his smell, all the things that invited her in. He would use his voice to lure her down to his lair. There his fantasies would take a decidedly passionate turn into lust and adoration that made him cringe when he remembered them. _I'm a monster._ He thought, just remembering some of those thoughts.

He had never thought that she would gaze at him as though in a trance when he hadn't even tried to convince her of anything. _Our bodies are beautiful to them_. He reminded himself, soberingly. _It is an effect that shouldn't take long to wear off. _

The good side and the selfish one collided in a panicked moment when she gasped for air and he realized that she had not been breathing. He cursed himself for not noticing, for being so lost in thought, for not having a plan once he saw her. That was when she whispered the name he had given for her to use. "Angel."

In the next moment, he was talking without thinking, without knowing what he was planning to say. Sides of his mind faded away and he was left only with wanting her.

"Bella, I will ask you only once. If you want, we can return to how it was before." He wondered briefly if this was a lie or not. He wasn't sure. He didn't know if he could possibly go back to the way it was after being so close to her. "If you want, you may come with me to my home."

Bella did not reply immediately. His mind was frozen, utterly uncertain of what he would do if she did not agree. Instead of speaking, Bella rose, staring into his eyes. He wondered vaguely if he had accidentally started to sing, though he knew that wasn't possible. Still, the only time he had seen this entranced look from her before was when he would sing to her during a lesson.

His eyes brushed down her body involuntarily. She wore a sheer white cover-up that opened to reveal her lack of dress. She was dressed in the same corset-style top from the opera earlier tonight, but at some point she had slipped off the large skirts of the bottom dress. What she wore now was a gauzy skirt that was partially transparent, revealing legs covered with white stockings. Edward clenched his hand into a fist, longing for things entirely separate from her blood, but just as unspeakable.

Ripping his thoughts away from more base urges, he tried to decipher what her rise meant. Then she answered his questions with a more obvious move. She offered him her hand.

Pale, smooth, small, perfect. These adjectives flew through his mind without a thought, for all his thoughts were preoccupied with her apparent agreement to go down to his home. Impossible. She truly was … perfect.

He stretched his own hand forward, wondering if this was not the point of no return that he had claimed earlier to be. His hand was covered with a formal black glove to match the rest of his outfit and he was simultaneously glad that she would not have to touch his icy skin and disappointed that he would not be able to truly touch her.

The artist in him marveled at and flinched from the contrast of their hands. Hers pale white, his darkest black. Was he truly ushering her innocence into his nightmare world? Did he have any choice but to follow through at this point?

With that question echoing in his mind, Edward stretched his hand the last inch and grasped her outstretched palm. Even through the glove, his fingers tingled with delight in meeting her skin. Path chosen, he turned with a flourish and led her behind as he returned through the mirror.

Their journey was silent, but somehow all the louder for the things going unspoken between them. He got the feeling that his Bella was merely waiting for a more appropriate moment to speak the things she wanted to. The dark and complex trek down through the labyrinth that led to his lair was hardly the most opportune moment.

Edward struggled with a sense of guilt. Now that he had taken that final step, leading her down to his world, he felt more 'the Phantom of the Opera' than he ever had before. He felt dark and evil in a way that he had told himself was only in the imaginations of ballet girls. This felt worse, crueler, than the murders they would blame him for. Bella was so innocent, so pure and here he was dragging her through the halls to his darkness.

The part that made him feel most awful was that even knowing this, he could do nothing to stop himself.

- - -

Bella felt like she should pinch herself on the dark way down to wherever her angel was leading her. Could she truly be making his journey? After five years of teaching and wondering, here she was with her hand clasped in his being led down to face a talk with her angel of music.

The twisting and turning route downwards did nothing to help her daze. Sometimes, the route ahead of them would be so pitch black that she could hardly see her own brilliantly white dress. There she would cling to her angel's hand all the more fervently, trusting him not to lead her astray.

Questions hurtled through her mind. What was his story? This man who apparently lived beneath the opera house. His age puzzled her as she thought more about it. He couldn't be as young as he looked, that would have made him only a child when he started teaching her and he hadn't been, she was sure of it. What had driven an apparently flawless man to live beneath an opera house singing only to a child? What made him hide his genius?

Mostly though, her questions were quelled by her angel's frequent glances back at her. He didn't seem to mind the lack of light like Bella did. While she was grateful every time they came near the occasional torch or candle to light their way, her angel seemed somehow entirely unaffected one way or the other.

Bella walked extremely carefully, trying to keep her eyes trained on the ground to prevent an inevitable and embarrassing trip. That, however, was mostly a failed effort. The man who led her was simply too entrancing to allow her to look anywhere but at his perfect form. Whenever she stumbled, he would hold her hand a little tighter and whisper in silken tones, "Be careful Bella."

The way his voice caressed her name was enough to make her insides feel like they were melting into a fiery pool. It occurred to her that it would be embarrassing if she could ever make him sing to her face-to-face, surely her reactions would be little short of humiliating.

It was only a moment after this thought that Bella had another. She would really like to sing to him. In fact, now that the urge had been recognized, her voice seemed to well up inside of her in a way that she had never before experienced. Bella adored singing and music, but the _need_ to sing that she felt now was entirely foreign. She bit down hard on her lip in an effort to resist the ridiculous impulse.

Now was not the time to lose herself in song. Now was the time to finally get those questions answered. And so she was back to her questions that kept chasing each other around her brain. How had he come to her as an angel? How did he know all these passageways existed? Where exactly were they going? How long had he lived down here, in the dark loneliness?

Then they turned a final corner, went down three more stairs and faced a lake. Bella gasped. There was a lake down here beneath the Opera Populaire? Mist swirled in little eddies around their feet as her angel kept leading her forward. She pulled backward slightly, feeling trepidation for the first time since she had woken up. Surely they weren't going to wade through water while she wore only a white dress and it was so cold down here already!

Her angel looked back at her, question in his eyes. "What is it?" He sounded unduly concerned, now that Bella had gotten over the initial shock.

She flushed at being the focus of his intense stare. "Nothing, it's just … we're going through that water?"

The mist was obscuring her view, but she could see no end to the lake from where she stood. Her angel chuckled at her though, and she stared at him, once again spellbound by his beauty.

"Silly Bella," he said, "there's a boat." He pulled her gently to one side of the lake and she saw the intricate boat. It looked like something from the picture books she had when she was small, beautiful and darkly romantic.

He ushered her in, indicating that she should sit. She did, confused when she saw that doing so left little space for her angel. He apparently had no such worries, though, as he stepped into the boat behind her with some sort of pole in his hands. She was amazed that he managed not to rock the boat at all as he got in.

The purpose of the pole was also quickly obvious to her as he began to push the boat forward with it. What would have been a near impossible task for her without tipping them over, he managed to complete with no effort at all.

Bella wondered how long this trip would take. Should she begin her questions now? Or would it be best to wait until they reached wherever he was taking her?

Some part of her recognized that she should be frightened, that a man she had never met before was taking her to an unknown location, but she couldn't work up any fear. Not fear for her teacher, her eternal best friend, the angel who had watched over her through the nightmares right after her father's death, the painful drudgery of everyday lessons for dance and voice, and the successes when things finally all came together. Not the man whose voice possessed her as no other music ever had.

She drew in a deep breath, unable to believe that she was finally here with him.

At that moment, the mist cleared enough to let them see the shore she assumed was her angel's home and Bella almost gasped out loud at the sight. Candles. Hundreds and hundreds of candles were the first thing to greet a visitor. Then the eye was drawn to the ornate organ that resided in the center of the shore. Sheets of music littered the ground and organ, as well as various tables that seemed to have no other purpose.

Drapings and curtains covered various walls and Bella wondered what they covered. Other rooms, perhaps? He had to sleep and eat somewhere, didn't he? She paused, unsure about that conclusion. Despite the proof that was right in front of her, it seemed impossible that her teacher was truly just a man.

Then her thoughts were drawn back, inevitably, to the man who had brought her here. He landed the boat and sprang out, twirling his cloak down to the ground and turning back to her.

He held his hand out to her, mirroring her own gesture from earlier. Bella looked up into his face, still full of amazement at this unimagined place, at this unimagined man. She placed her hand in his, lost in his golden eyes again.

He pulled her up to standing and she wobbled dangerously. She blushed as the water in the lake splashed against the shore and she remembered his graceful entrance into the boat. He looked alarmed and stepped closer to her. The instant that she stepped on land, he backed away and a part of her regretted not making more of a production of her exit. This unruly thought made her flush again and she berated her pale complexion.

But now they were here, wherever exactly _here_ was. Now was the time that she had been preparing for all day. No more accepting of what her teacher would tell her. Now was the time to change it. And so she looked him straight in the eye, defied the weakening of her knees in response to his perfect face and blurted out a question that had somehow never occurred to her before this moment. "What's your name?"

* * *

**A/N: **It's finally here! Okay, so not much actual communication between the two, but that's coming, don't worry! Things that you might want to note for the future from this chapter include the fact that Bella doesn't know Edward is the Phantom and that Edward didn't see Jake and Bella's meeting from last chapter. To Edward, Jacob is still just the annoying new patron of his opera house. I hope that everyone enjoyed that, and if you did, leave me a review!

I'm smack dab in the middle of finals week right now, and anything would give me a boost. Another side note, the last little line, "what's your name?" is definitely a direct jab at the musical and movie of Phantom. As much as I adore those versions, what's with never giving Erik a name?! Lol, ignore the insane fangirl on the sidelines. Thanks for reading!

**Next Time: **Bella and Edward talk, Edward writes some music, and a surprise ending!


	8. Edward Cullen

**Previously: **Edward brought Bella down to his home. Right before the last chapter ended, Bella asked Edward what his name was.

**Music Note: **No music for this section. If anyone is obsessively following the musical plot with this, first of all I love you for your fanaticism, and you will know that this should be _Music of the Night. _Don't worry, _Music of the Night_ will come later. ;-)

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 7**

**Edward Cullen**

Edward wasn't quite sure what he had expected out of his first real conversation with Bella, but he knew that this was not it. "My name?" He mouthed. She was unbelievable. He had just pulled her down beneath the opera house that had been her home for the past five years, had shown her that the man she thought was an angel was real, and he hadn't answered any questions about how he had acted as her angel. This was her first question after all of that? Incredible.

"Your name." She confirmed. "You have one, don't you? I can't exactly call you Angel now that I know you're … human."

_She's perceptive._ Edward thought to himself, noticing her hesitation before saying the last word. He stared at her, standing there at the edge of the lake and thought back to all the thousands of times he had imagined her here. This whole situation was impossible, unbelievable, so might as well answer her ridiculous question. _Her priorities are all wrong._

"My name is Edward." He said, and after a moment's pause continued, "Edward Cullen."

It seemed as if she had no more questions after that because she was staring at him blankly. He hoped that she simply couldn't think of which one to ask first because if she honestly didn't have any questions for him, he would be worried that he had driven her to insanity by taking her down here. However, she started talking again after a few seconds. "I … guess you already know my name." She flushed bright red.

Edward couldn't help himself. He chuckled, loving that her mentions of their relationship were light. She didn't seem to regard him with the fear that he had once thought she would. Then again, she still didn't know what he was. That was enough to put him back in a melancholy mood.

He assumed that she was working up to another question, but he responded to her statement first. "Yes, I know your name." He wandered over to the organ, picking up a sheet of music and then setting it aside without looking at it. He glanced up at Bella again to find her watching him, apparently transfixed.

Edward wondered if he had possibly sent her into shock, but discarded the idea when she said, "I knew that you were real, you know. I've thought about it before. But when I imagined you, it was never quite like …" she trailed off and let her eyes wander around his home for a moment before finishing. "This."

Smiling once again, Edward cleared off the organ bench of various sheets of music. He had decided that he might as well be comfortable before she finally came around to the more relevant questions. His eyes darkened temporarily when he saw that the piece he had just swept onto the floor was from 'Don Juan Triumphant.' Well, hopefully Bella wouldn't go digging through his piles of music.

"I can't imagine what you did think." He said, turning back to Bella. She was still standing right where he left her. She looked so incredibly beautiful that a part of him wanted to turn back to the organ. He never felt equal to her unless he was playing music, as though that could somehow level them. He resisted the urge though, fearing that if he went down that road, she would never ask her questions. "You can come in, you know." The smile kept playing around his lips.

As she drew nearer, it hit Edward that he had never felt more in control of his less human instincts. Her blood was certainly calling to him, but he had never been better able to control himself. The smile grew fully-fledged.

Then she stood directly in front of him as he sat at the organ and asked the question. "Why? Why do you live down here? Why did you come to me as an angel rather than a man?" She was getting flustered: he could hear her heart beating faster and her face flushed. He almost turned away from her, unable to answer this most central of questions. Could he really tell her the truth? Impossible.

She didn't give him a chance to answer yet, though. "You're a genius, Edward." She said, her voice dropping in volume. "Your music is beyond description. I just don't understand. You should be sharing it with the world. Why me?"

Hearing his name coming from her lips was heaven. Considering his answer, Edward turned away to his organ and pressed down a chord lightly. He wondered half-heartedly if it was too late to sing and play well enough to make her forget her question. Probably not, she had always been so susceptible to his music. He wouldn't do it though. It was too late for that in his mind; he had already made the choice to face her head-on, without the props of entrancing songs.

And so he turned back to her. "When you were twelve, you came here for the first time. You were singing under the opera house. Do you remember?"

"Yes." She said, looking ecstatic that he was answering even part of her questions.

"I heard you. Your voice was like nothing else I had ever heard in my life. The moment I heard it I knew that I couldn't live without it. I needed it, needed you for my own music." Honesty was so hard when she was looking at him with those eyes, looking like an angel in his own personal hell. His voice had become sharp, remembering those initial days of selfishness.

She drew in an audible breath, but didn't seem scared. Her reactions didn't make any sense! Not for the first time, Edward wondered if perhaps the real reason he couldn't hear her mind was because it didn't work the same way that every other human's mind worked. Entirely possible.

"That first night," he continued, "I told Esme where you were and that she had to offer you a spot in the ballet." He looked sheepish for just a moment. "I wasn't very kind to her. I think she still remembers that night as one of my worst moments."

This time, Bella's reaction was a small cry. "So Esme did know!" Edward was alarmed by how pale she had become and he stood up and went over to her without thought. He cursed himself. She _must_ be in shock.

"Are you alright Bella?" He asked, wavering between grabbing onto her so she wouldn't fall and keeping his distance. "Perhaps you should sit. Here." He swept the music off of a chair that was by a table.

Bella cried out again. "Oh, Edward! Don't do that to your music!" She seemed entirely distracted from the subject of Esme and was regaining color quickly. She stooped down to pick up the sheets that he had carelessly brushed to the ground.

Edward's eyebrows furrowed. He certainly didn't care about the only mediocre music that he had cleared away for her to sit down. He couldn't imagine why she would. She continued, "You wrote all of this, didn't you?" She sounded stunned, and had stopped picking up the various sheets to stare at one. He knew that look; she was hearing it in her mind, reading through the piece.

He didn't know which piece it was, but he was sure that it was not yet, if ever, fit for consumption by anyone beside himself. He was over to her side in a flash, going far too quickly for a human. Luckily, he remembered to be gentle as he pulled it from her grasp and placed it down on a convenient table. Bella let out a little sigh of regret, but seemed to refocus herself.

"You wanted to hear about Esme?" He asked, more willing to talk about this than to let her continue examining the unfinished works surrounding them. Perhaps he should have chosen a less distracting area to have their talk. But where? He set aside the issue because Bella was looking at him again and nodding.

"When I first moved here –"

She interrupted him again. "Which was when?"

He frowned at her for a moment and then thought back. It hadn't really been a _move_ like she would imagine it. It hadn't been that one day he was living with Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice and the next he had decided to live under an opera house. It had been gradual … but he didn't know how to explain that without getting utterly off-topic, which, now that he thought about it, he already was.

"I first found this place seven years ago, but I didn't decide to live here permanently until I met you." He answered, as simply as he could. "But when I first found it, I found Esme with it. Our friendship grew from shared necessity at first, but then …" He smiled again, "Esme likes lost souls, doesn't she?"

Bella smiled back at him, and then got back on topic. "So she knew?" Bella asked. "She knew that you were teaching me?"

Edward nodded, hoping that this wouldn't bother her. It better not, there were much bigger scares coming her way if he continued to tell the truth, but he could never understand what would irritate Bella and what would not.

Bella sat back in her chair, releasing a breath that felt like it had been held since she had first begun to suspect Esme's knowledge. "I can't decide if I'm mad at her." She mused out loud, having quite thoroughly lost her decorum in the face of all that had happened this night.

Edward surged forward in his seat, ready to beg for Esme's cause. "Don't be," he implored, "It was all my fault. She was just trying to do what was best for both of us. She really loves you."

"So," Bella went on, apparently acknowledging Esme's lack of guilt, "I suppose she told Carlisle as well."

He let out a brief huff of surprise. "I'd forgotten that you know Carlisle. Yes, Carlisle knows as well."

Bella probably would have pursued this suspicious answer if she hadn't had more important things on her mind. "Back to my question though." She said, seeming to focus herself as much as Edward. "Why me. Why no one else."

_How to answer that without hitting on …_ Edward drew in a deep breath and felt the fiery burn in his throat._ That._ "I had heard you sing of your angel of music. I heard your nightmares, I heard you cry out for …" His voice had gone low and quiet. He remembered those days so vividly, fighting Bella's many temptations: her blood, her voice, and her very self.

"It seemed like the easiest answer to come to you in that form. I knew I couldn't come like this." He waved a hand down his body and felt her eyes trace the path he had indicated. The human side of him burned. She brought that part of him to life so easily that he felt like a teenager.

He stared at her, watching her eyes sweep over him. Again he thought, _Our bodies are appealing to them. But why isn't the fear side starting to kick in yet?_ He again wondered if she was in shock. But before he could progress too far into his overprotective line of thought, her eyes met his.

They snapped together, as they had several other times this night. The burn that she had started burst into flames. Edward felt as if the distance between them had suddenly become electrically charged. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and pull her back to the bed behind the curtain and …

Had he lost his mind!? This was insanity. He was no untried teen! He was a vampire who had spent the past fifty years resisting the most severe form of temptation in the shape of human blood. How could one young girl cut through all that self-restraint?

He turned his attention back to Bella, hardening his resolve in order to face her. She was breathing heavily and was flushed. He stopped breathing for a moment, tempted in a very different way by the easy pooling of blood beneath her cheeks. _This is why! This is why your … other urges are absurd and disgusting!_ As much as his good side might berate the selfish side, the urges weren't going anywhere.

Edward turned around decidedly, back to the keys. His fingers itched to pound down, to create music, as he had denied his body all other outlets for its tension. He could hear Bella drawing in a gasp of air. She had probably stopped breathing again, silly girl. A part of him, which he would never admit to possessing, took pride in the effect he had upon her. And that was without even resorting to music.

"Edward?" She whispered, quietly after a moment. He turned back around again, deciding that he had regained control, despite the way that his name sounded in her angel's voice. "I –" she was interrupted by a large and obviously involuntary yawn.

It occurred to Edward that it was probably very late. The opera hadn't ended until near midnight, then he had delayed coming to her room for an hour at the least, and then …

"You must be exhausted." He murmured, ashamed of himself for his neglect. Perhaps that was the reason for her lack of fear and bold questions. She was simply sleep deprived.

"I'm not!" Bella protested, uselessly. Edward frowned at her, obviously doubting her sincerity. "I just …" she sounded defeated and honest, "I have so many questions. I've waited for this for so long. I can't go back to my room." In both their heads he imagined that statement was finished silently _and the way that it was._

Well, perhaps he could help her there. "You don't have to go back if you don't want to." He said, after a moment. "You could stay here for tonight."

Bella stared up at him in disbelief. "I could do that?" She sounded so relieved, excited, and exhausted all at once that Edward couldn't help but release a smile.

"If you want to." He repeated. For a moment his thoughts went back to where they had been minutes ago. He was now going to lead her to the very bed that he had just imagined joining her in. If he could have blushed, he was sure that he might have.

"I do!" She exclaimed. Edward smiled, forcing his thoughts away from his weaker, human side.

"This way then." He ushered. He lifted up the curtain, trying not to think about how he had imagined this earlier as she drew in a breath at the bed revealed. The frame was decorated into the shape of a swan and the bedding was a deep red silk. She seemed to hesitate at the edge of the bed, suppressing another yawn.

"Is this your …" she trailed off, unable to finish the question. Her blush was so lovely and so ridiculously tempting all at once.

"No." He replied, once again wrenching his thoughts away from forbidden territory. "It's for you." Damn it! Just as soon as he was focused on keeping his thoughts in line, his mouth betrayed him by revealing truths that he wasn't ready for Bella to know just yet.

Her cheeks looked like they were about to burst into flame. His probably would have been the same if he had any blood in his body. "Oh," she squeaked, obviously not able to get anything else out and turning away from him.

He fought the urge to be amused by her reaction. _Bella, love, if you only knew how innocent that was in comparison to some of the things I've thought about you._ The selfish human side was getting out of control again.

She sank down to sit on the bed and fought down her embarrassment enough to look at him again. "Are you going to bed?" She asked.

That made him smile as much as it made him sad. "No," he answered, "I don't sleep much." _Or at all._ He hesitated before continuing. He had been very sure not to use music to influence her over the night so far because he knew how easily she could be swayed, but he wasn't sure what he would do if he couldn't start composing soon. "Would you mind if I played?"

Her eyes lit up in a way that part of him had always known that they would. "Not at all!" She rushed to assure him. "That would be …" The end of her sentence was lost in a yawn and she lay back in the bed, content to end the sentiment there.

His expression was beautifully soft as he watched her pull the silken covers over herself. Her eyes fluttered closed and then were forced open again. "Are you going?" She asked, her voice already cloudy with sleep.

"Yes," he said. His voice had gotten deeper as his emotions grew overwhelming. Bella was here, sleeping in the bed he had gotten for her, speaking with him, and knowing him to be real. "Good night, Bella. Sleep well."

With that he swept his gaze over her ethereal form once more and then let the curtain drop behind him as he returned to the organ.

Edward had experienced the unstoppable urge to compose and play before. This was not unfamiliar to him. But it had never, not in his entire 70 years of existence, been so strong. When he sat at the bench, the notes were flowing over him and through him before he could even begin pressing the keys. It took his mind a moment to catch up with his body's music, but when it did, he realized what he was playing.

It was that scene he had just left behind the curtain in musical form. It was her in that angelic white dress with her curls splayed out on his bed, nestled beneath his covers. It was her lullaby.

- - -

There were no words for this night.

That was what was going through Bella's mind in the moments before she fell asleep in Edward's home. Edward. Edward, Edward, Edward. She felt like she would never be tired of saying his name, not in her head or aloud. There were still so many questions. Why was she the only one he had revealed himself to? Why did he live down here? And so many other secrets that she felt he was keeping that she hadn't even touched on.

But for now, for tonight that was enough. And it was then that he started playing.

Edward's music had always been able to control her emotions in a way that she didn't begin to understand. When he played, or sang, or even when she saw music he had written as she had earlier tonight, she could feel that power. Now, as he played a song so indescribably beautiful that she felt on the verge of tears, she lost herself in that feeling again.

Her angel was no angel after all. He was so much more.

- - -

By the time Edward had managed to scribble down Bella's Lullaby, at vampire speeds, no less, he was still fairly sure that it was nearing the morning hours. Of course, he could always check the clock in his library, but the music he was creating held him too captive for such blasphemy as leaving it.

The composing urge hadn't left him, so he turned to something else, anything else. The sheets of music he had shoved off the bench caught his eye. Don Juan Triumphant. His opera for her.

Edward hesitated for a moment. His biggest issue with his opera was the ending. He had always intended for it to be a tragedy, that the main character, Don Juan, and his innocent, young lover Aminta would both be flung into hell for their affair, which Don Juan would seduce and force her into. More recently though, part of him had protested such a hopeless ending. Right at this moment, with his own personal Aminta accepting him with such ease and impossible beauty, to end the opera so tragically seemed a disgrace to all involved.

He pulled forth a sheet of music and hesitated again. Change the ending that he had been trying to work out for nearly a year? He glanced over to the curtain that hid the love of his existence. Well, he could certainly try it. Just to see how it worked out.

Immediately, as though waiting for exactly such a thought, the musical side of him took over like it had for Bella's Lullaby. He knew just the piece he wanted to write.

Writing this went more slowly than the lullaby had. It didn't come quite as naturally to him as that piece. It's message was so different from any other piece he had written that the major chords and lyrics full of light and sun seemed to defy some part of him.

Maybe that was why he had to write it though. It was a beacon of hope for him, just a possible ending to the opera of his life. As the lyrics began to come to him, he admitted that a part of him, a part that had lasted untainted by his own monstrous nature, wanted to say such things to Bella and have them be true.

By the time it was roughly finished, Bella was still showing no signs of waking up. This made sense, she had gone to sleep very late and it was still the early morning. Still, he sighed deeply, longing to talk with her again, no matter what more conversation would bring.

He contemplated looking in on her, but decided that his human side was too weak and susceptible to her for that. It was no use tempting himself. Instead he was caught by another musical idea. He shuffled through the various piles of music to find the one that he wanted. One that he had written just for her during one long and dark night.

Triumphantly, he pulled it out. 'The Music of the Night' was written in his own script across the top of it and, as he glanced over the notes, he began to hear it in his head. He wondered if his compositional side had ever been so inspired as he pulled out his pen and began making corrections and writing new things down for the third time that night.

When he set his pen down again, satisfied with the song once more, he wondered if writing this piece was really a good idea in the end. His human side had not been quelled by being given such attention. On the contrary, he felt inflamed by the piece that was so obviously meant for seduction.

_Do I even dare to play this for her?_ He wondered, musing at the idea and images that appeared in his mind at the thought. He groaned, trying to tamp down the longings that sprang forth.

_That is ridiculous and so incredibly dangerous for her._ He reminded himself of this time and time again and every time he did so it proved essentially useless. Bella was simply far too tempting in every way for her own good.

He surveyed the notes one last time before sighing and placing the piece to the side. He picked up Don Juan again, deciding that this piece at least had some sort of potential future. That is, if his concepts and half-made plans ever reached any sort of reality.

_Carlisle would disapprove. And I don't even know if I could make them perform it. If I could make her perform it._ The last two thoughts were untrue. If he ever truly decided he wanted his opera performed, he knew that he could make both his managers and his Bella do it for him.

His fingers picked out the melody that he had written that night, the potential new ending to the opera. It wasn't long before he had forgotten about whether or not he was going to play the opera and was once again lost in the details and characters and melodies of the opera itself. Ah, the wonders of music.

In fact, he was so lost that he didn't notice when Bella woke up, or when she moved close enough to stand behind him, or as she stared at him, transfixed by him and the music.

However, it was impossible not to notice when she placed her hand over his cheek, reached her body around his so that she was straddling him, and kissed him.

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**A/N: **What can I even say after that ending? I think that has to be my favorite chapter ending I've written for this story. ;-) You may not agree with me ... tell me either way! I love reviews and would be so happy to even get a single word from you guys.

On an obsessed with Phantom note, that kiss is my equivalent of Christine taking off Erik's mask in the musical (Erik = the Phantom's real name). It was one of the first scenes I imagined when I first thought of this story. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!

**Next Time: **Rosalie and Emmett search for Bella and Edward and Bella talk.


	9. A Missing Star

**Previously: **Edward and Bella talked in his home. Bella fell asleep in his bed and Edward worked on several of his compositions. He was working on a piece for a possible new ending to his opera when Bella came up to him and kissed him. :-)

**Music Note:** Not much ... a little bit of _All I Ask of You._ I'm curious about what you'll think of how I use that song in later chapters ... ;-)

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**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 8**

**A Missing Star**

Rosalie was sick of her mother's endless practices. Yes she agreed, last night had not been the ballet's best night, but that was mostly due to losing one of their dancers at the last moment and having to change the entire choreography around it. Not to mention that they had all been absorbed in Bella's triumph.

It was entirely unnecessary to wake all of them up at six in the morning for rehearsal, especially when they had only gotten to sleep around one in the morning the night before.

Rose was complaining about this fact to another chorus girl, Angela, when it occurred to her that Bella wasn't there. Rose hadn't really considered the long-term effects of Bella's success the night before, but now that she thought about it, Jessica still hadn't returned. Was Bella going to star in their new opera tonight?

Rehearsal hadn't officially begun yet as Esme had yet to awaken all of the dancers in the bedrooms. Apparently some of them were also being lectured for throwing too much of a party the night before, parties involving alcohol and willing stagehands. Esme was surely on a rampage, but Rose decided that her question was too pressing to wait for her mother to return.

"Angela, I'll be back soon. Where do you think Esme is?" Rose asked, getting to her feet after stretching.

"I'm not sure." Angela said, then she blushed lightly, "I heard that Lauren's wing of the dormitories was … _celebrating_ last night though, so perhaps there?"

Rose smiled at her friend and hurried off to find her mother. She was happy for Bella if she was the permanent diva, but rather disappointed for herself. What on earth would life at the Opera Populaire be like if Bella wasn't at her side through all the practices and so on. When would they get to talk?

Just then, she passed by the girls that Angela had referred to earlier. It was Lauren's group of friends, whose dormitory had supposedly been home to a party the night before. Judging by their exhausted expressions and the bags under their eyes, the rumors were true. However, their presence at rehearsals not followed by Esme was not a good sign for Rose's search.

She groaned to herself and paused in her trek. She thought about asking one of Lauren's group where her mother had gone after telling them off, but decided against it. She wouldn't associate herself in any way with such cheap women unless she had no other option.

Luckily, at that moment another option that was much more appealing appeared. "Emmett!" She called out.

Emmett looked up at the sound of her voice and broke into a wide grin when he saw who it was. "Rosie!" He exclaimed and made his way over to her in two bounds. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night. You looked perfect out there, the best dancer in the Opera Populaire."

_He's a flirt. He says things like that to all the girls._ She reminded herself, trying to quell her racing heart. "It was Bella who was the real star last night." She said, trying to wave off the compliment. "Do you know where Esme is?"

Emmett shrugged, his eyes tracing up and down her body, taking in the tightly fitted practice clothes. Rosalie glared at his perusal, but didn't say anything about it, not wanting to get into another of their typical fights where he would flirt and she would snipe back. "I was just looking for her actually." Emmett said, looking disappointed that Rose hadn't taken the bait and told him off for leering at her.

"For what?" Rosalie asked. She decided that her mother had to come to rehearsal at some point, so she might as well wait here.

Emmett yawned before he replied. "Last night, she told me she needed to talk to me about the scene changes for tonight or something. It better be life or death because she got me up at six in the morning for it."

Smirking, Rose forgot her own complaints about the early hour and said, "God forbid Emmett McCarty wake up before noon."

He shot that typical Emmett grin at her and said, completely unrepentant, "I appreciate my sleep that's all. Unlike your mother, obviously." Then he looked up and smiled past her. "Oh, hey Esme."

Rosalie spun around, only now realizing how close she and Emmett were standing during their conversation. "Mom I was going to ask if …" She trailed off as she saw her mother's face. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Esme took a moment to stare at both of them. Hope lit her eyes for an instant. "Rosalie, you haven't seen Bella have you? Did she come down to rehearsal?"

Rosalie shook her head, a sense of foreboding shooting through her. "No, I haven't seen her since last night. What's wrong?"

"She's not in her room. I was going to ask if she wanted to come to practice and she isn't there." Esme looked panicked.

"No she isn't here yet, I was just going to ask …" Then it sunk in that Esme couldn't find Bella and Rosalie froze. Bella wasn't particularly a morning person, it was unheard of for her to be out of her room at this hour of the morning when she didn't have to, especially after the night they had had. Emmett was the one to react first.

"Don't worry yet, Esme. Maybe she just couldn't sleep. Rose and I will start looking for her and you go ask our new managers if they know anything. Maybe they just wanted to talk to her about the show tonight. We don't have to start panicking yet." His last sentiment seemed to be directed just at Rose, who was taking very quick, shallow breaths. He placed a hand on her shoulder as though to calm her.

Esme watched his gesture and took a deep breath herself. Emmett was absolutely right. They didn't know that there was anything to worry about yet. Maybe this was all just a misunderstanding. _Or maybe … Edward …_ No, she wouldn't worry yet.

She hurried off to speak to the managers. _And if they don't know anything and Rosalie and Emmett don't find her, then I'll talk to Carlisle. _With that grim thought in mind she continued on her way.

"Well then," Emmett said with false cheer as Esme left, "if you were Bella and you'd just had your stunning premier, where would you be the next morning?"

He hadn't removed his hand from her shoulder and didn't until she turned around and stared at his arm pointedly. He dropped his hand, but didn't look embarrassed in the least. Then again, that was just Emmett's way. Rose focused on his question, trying to ignore the tingle that his fingers had left in her shoulder.

"It's no use!" She cried after a minute's reflection, "I would be in bed, getting more than five hours of sleep!"

Emmett sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling into a half hug as he began walking with her in tow. "That's a brilliant idea Rose. I might want some air too. Let's go check the roof shall we?"

She squirmed for a few minutes, trying to evade his arm, but his obscenely large muscles hindered her efforts. "You're a pig." She said after giving up, but her sentiment lacked the appropriate fire.

"Love you too, Rosie." He said, grinning down at her again.

Rose walked beside him without a word, cursing her traitorous body for its less than disgusted reactions toward his proximity. Everywhere he was touching her, which was quite a lot of places, was tingling like her shoulder had been. His warmth and hardness pressed up against her was impossible to resist for too long. Her only fight now was to stop herself from melting into his body.

Thankfully, it wasn't long until the narrow stairs leading up to the roof meant that Emmett couldn't keep up his grasp. He let go of her waist, taking her hand instead, as though she was going to run away if he dropped her completely.

Well, at least he was good for something. His outrageous behavior certainly got her mind off the mystery of Bella's location. At least it did until they reached the roof to find it completely empty.

Emmett's smile didn't let up, which left Rose even angrier with him. "That's just one place Rosie, let's keep looking."

And with that her hand was being pulled back down through the opera house. That is, until Rose yanked her hand back and refused to move. Emmett paused and dropped her hand. She felt rather babied by this, it seemed like he let her go to prevent himself from hurting her instead of because she had made him.

"Emmett, I know where I'm going in this opera house, thank you very much. I've lived here all my life. I don't need you to lead the way like I'm some sort of helpless child."

"You're so cute when you're angry with me Rosie." Emmett said, obviously not getting the 'fear-for-your-life' message she was trying to send.

He turned on her and proceeded down the stairs after that. Rose just watched his retreat, seething. She took a deep breath, thought of Bella, and followed after. _Emmett is such an idiot. Maybe he's mentally challenged and that's the reason he never picks up on the fact that he is not god! He drives me __**insane**__!_

These angry thoughts carried her through searching the chapel, going back to rehearsal to look for Bella there, and then going through Bella's whole room, as though she might be hiding in her pile of flowers. By that time, Emmett had become much more serious and Rose's thoughts were far from cursing him.

They met up with Esme again, when they retreated back to the stage for rehearsal again. Esme was just starting to direct the ballet, putting them through the moves that they had failed at the night before and rearranging the choreography for this night's opera to suit one less dancer.

Emmett and Rose both scanned the room quickly, in one last, desperate hope that Bella might be there. To neither of their surprise, she wasn't there. Their hope was further crushed by a single glance at Esme, who shook her head. They shook theirs as well, feeling hopeless and lost. Where on earth could Bella be?

_Now, it's time to panic._ Rose thought, breath coming fast. Her best friend, her sister, had disappeared.

- - -

When Bella awoke, it was to strands of music floating through the air. No full melody was being played, but it didn't really matter. She could tell that it was her angel's piece, her angel playing.

It was only after she recognized the magical music that was singing through her ears that she began to remember other things. Her premier last night. Then a trek through the basements of the Opera Populaire, a glassy black lake covered in swirling mist, candles everywhere, a beautiful organ.

A man. With that, all the other confusion of what exactly had happened faded away. Her angel was a man, a man named Edward. And he was the one playing that music.

One strain repeated over and over again with slight variations. A thrill shot through her as she realized that not only was she still in his home, but he was writing a piece with her there.

She shot up from the bed she had been laying in, then was forced to try it again with more patience. The sheets and her dress had tangled around her legs while she slept.

Finally she managed to straighten up and stand. She glanced around herself, trying to discover how exactly to get out of this curtained off section that contained the bed she had slept in. It was a small area, just large enough for the bed and a small table beside it that held a … monkey playing cymbals?

Ah, it was a music box. Bella considered turning it over to play the song that it held, but was distracted by the progression of the music outside of her curtains. Edward had apparently gone back to the beginning of the piece or section to see how his changes sounded.

She stayed behind her curtains for the introduction of the piece, not wanting to stop him from playing. Then he started to sing, and the strength to stay away from him was utterly lost.

"No more talk of darkness  
Forget these wide-eyed fears …"

She couldn't hold back once he sang, especially a song that sounded somehow like it was directed at her. She pulled back the curtain and stared up at her angel, Edward, playing in front of her.

"I'm here, nothing can harm you  
My words will warm and calm you …"

Without even realizing that she had done so, she walked forward so that she was standing directly behind him. His voice was like warm honey poured onto her soul. She would never, no matter how long she lived, be able to forget the sound of his voice. It possessed her without even trying, took over her mind and body. It was simply more than human.

"Let me be your freedom  
Let daylight dry your tears …"

It was too much. Bella had absolutely no control over her own actions and she had to touch him, had to feel his skin, not just his gloves like the night before. Her hand reached up and caressed the side of his cheek.

Edward didn't even appear to notice as he hummed the next part of the song with his eyes closed. The part of Bella that was still alert enough to notice such things assumed that he hadn't written the next set of lyrics yet.

Most of her mind though, was absorbed with the feel of his skin, hard and cold and yet, so appealing, so inviting. The tiny part of her mind that was still rational realized that this urge was insane, but she was powerless to take control of her body back from the larger side of her that demanded more.

Without conscious thought, she gave in and took more. She had never felt so graceful as she ducked under his arm and sat herself in Edward's lap. The song broke off and she felt a moment of regret before her eyes met his. His were wide and darkening in a way that she didn't have enough logical space in her mind at the moment to understand.

With that same movement, she pressed her face upward to his and met his lips.

For one, long, blissful moment, they were kissing. Bella felt as though she had burst into flames, like this was where she belonged for the rest of eternity. She had never felt so alive, not even while singing. In fact, she would give up music forever if only Edward would keep kissing her.

Then it was over. Before Bella could even realize what had happened, she was sitting alone on the bench and Edward was far away, by the curtains that hid her bed from view. She blinked once, overwhelmed by the sensations that had just been stolen away from her.

_How did he get over there? _Was her first, semi-coherent thought after the kiss. Then, with a rush, her logical mind came back with a vengeance. Her cheeks darkened to a deep red. How could she have lost her mind like that? There was no way that her perfect angel would dream of being … like that … with her! What had come over her?

The answer to that was, of course, his music had dissolved all her rational thought. However, that excuse seemed ridiculous in the face of Edward's reaction. He hadn't moved from his spot so far away from her.

"Edward?" She asked, her voice breaking halfway through. "Edward, I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? _You're_ sorry?" Bella could hardly recognize his voice. It had dropped an octave and kept breaking. "You're an angel. You don't belong here. I should never have …" He dropped his face into his hands and his whole body shook.

Bella stared. Was he crying? Why? What on earth had just happened? She took a step toward Edward, wanting to go to him, to comfort him even though she was the reason he had reacted like this.

"Bella, stay there!" His voice cried out as soon as she took her step. Edward was looking up again and panic filled his face. Bella noticed, shocked, that his golden eyes were now a deepest, darkest black.

Edward was back to speaking quietly, but she strained her ears to hear. "I'm a monster. How could you ever care for me? How could I bring you down here … to … to …"

Alarmed, Bella took another step toward him. "Edward, no! It was my fault! I'm sorry for … kissing you." She forced out the words, cheeks burning again. "You didn't do anything."

Edward looked up at her again. "You don't understand. You don't understand anything. God, Bella, what I almost did …"

She hesitantly started walking to where he stood. He was absolutely right; she didn't understand any of this. What had happened? One moment she was in heaven and the next he looked like he was in excruciating pain and he was halfway across the room. She wondered again how exactly he had managed that, but decided to worry about it later.

"You didn't do anything." She said, trying to calm him down. "I'm sorry." Now she was standing within arm's reach of him. She met his gaze, trying not to look away in embarrassment. If she only had more control of herself! It was humiliating how she had lost her head to the music.

"Bella …" He breathed, as though speaking the name of a god. His eyes were slowly lightening to their normal gold. Bella let out a sigh of relief. Although she wasn't sure why, she was convinced that this was a good sign. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, "It was just, I didn't even notice you and then suddenly you were right there. So close …" His voice trailed off.

Thank god. He seemed as though he had returned basically to normal. Taking advantage of this, Bella asked the question that had been driving her insane since he had first jumped away from her. "What happened?"

Edward pulled his gaze away from her, looking back toward the organ. Bella kept staring straight at him, feeling her embarrassment battle with her curiosity. When Edward spoke, he sounded tortured. "Bella, I can't … I don't want to … no, I can't tell you."

Bella was undeterred. She thought back on the icy touch of his flawless skin, the press of his hard lips against hers. "You're not human." She said, and as she spoke the words, she knew them to be true. His instantaneous move from the organ to here, his frozen skin, why he lived under the Opera Populaire when he was such a genius, so many questions answered.

"Bella," Edward's voice was almost begging with her now, pleading. "You should go back to the theater. It is morning, they will be missing you."

Going back up to the world above them hadn't even occurred to Bella until he mentioned it. As he said the words, she knew that they would have to wait. She wasn't nearly ready to leave him yet, not with so many questions still unanswered. Not when he hadn't even acknowledged her statement.

"Not yet." She said, determined. "Answer me, Edward."

He drew in a deep breath and then let it out again. With movements much faster than her fastest run, he made his way back over to the bench where the ill-fated kiss had happened. With distance between them, he stared into her eyes and whispered, "No, I'm not human."

It rang in her ears, louder than anything else had been all night.

- - -

Bella's kiss had been the single best and worst moment in Edward's existence. Her lips were heaven against his, setting him aflame with human desires. And yet, the shock of her appearance, the sudden proximity of her blood, her scent destroying his resistance all set his throat aflame as well.

He hadn't come so close to killing her since the first moment he smelled her and it terrified him. How could he endanger her like this, how could he have brought her down here? He was truly a monster. He became even more monstrous in his own eyes when he realized that she was trying to apologize!

His angel, his Bella was attempting to apologize to him for kissing him! His own nature was fighting against him as he tried to love her.

Then she said what he had been praying she wouldn't realize since he first chose to become her teacher. "You're not human."

Three little words that revealed so much impossibility in their relationship. God, he loved her, but was that all doomed by what he was? Did it even matter what he felt for her in the face of everything against them?

She was too perceptive, his Bella. Of course she would notice. He hadn't exactly been subtle in his leap over here. Edward tried to thwart her, to offer another option to her, to let her go back to her life in the opera before she had met him, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't be swayed.

Suddenly it was too much for Edward. He tried to hold in the speed, but he knew that his race back over to the seat by his organ was far too fast to be human. He stared down at the keys for an instant, then at the music now scattered on the ground that he had written the night before. His eyes traced over the melody that he had been singing when she kissed him. A song so unlike him, that defied everything he usually defined himself as.

It had been so ridiculous to hope for light when he was condemned to darkness. He was truly a monster, after what he had almost done to Bella. He turned to her anyway, looking straight into her eyes because there was nothing else for him to do at this point.

"No, I'm not human." He answered, baring his soul to her in a way that even his darkest musical pieces wouldn't.

His vampire hearing allowed him to listen to her quiet gasp, even from all the way across the room. Her heart maintained its pace, which surprised him until he realized that her heart had been racing since she entered the room. She closed her eyes for a moment, breaking the connection between them before she said, "Then what are you?"

He kept staring into her eyes, because there was nowhere else for him to look. When she knew this, she would never speak to him or come near him again. He had to treasure every last moment.

"When you were younger, you used to tell me stories that your father told you. Do you remember them?" He began.

Bella nodded, taking a step toward him and then another. He didn't stop her. After his disgusting outburst earlier, he had never been more in control of his darker urges. These were his last moments with her after all.

"I was shocked to hear you describe what I was. I was in one of your stories. I'd never heard us called what you called us though."

She looked startled, clearly attempting to search her memory for the story he was referring to. She was so smart, his Bella. Edward knew that if he left her for a while, she would realize exactly which story he was talking about. He wouldn't wait for that though. He needed to get this over with now.

"The legends were about the 'cold ones' as your father called them. Do you remember now?" His voice had dropped, become cold and cynical. He knew that it might be scaring her, but he had no other options for this final conversation.

"Yes," she breathed, coming closer and closer until she stood right in front of him. "Stories about vampires."

* * *

**A/N: **So, am I cruel for leaving you with another cliff-hanger after the last one? Did you scroll down to see Bella and Edward's names when you realized that the chapter wasn't starting with them? Did you think Rose and Emmett were adorable? What did you think of Bella and Edward's kiss? Tell me about it in a review and I'll be eternally grateful!

To my anonymous reviewers, thanks so much for your reviews ... I can't reply to them, but thanks so much!

In some reviews I learned that people are reading this who haven't seen Phantom, which is really cool to me. I'm exposing people to Phantom, awesome! I highly recommend it. Little history on it, if you aren't quite as obsessed as I am. The Phantom of the Opera was originally a book written in French in the 1800s by a man named Gaston Leroux. It's a strange book, I wouldn't really recommend it, but you could try it if you want. There have been other adaptations and movies through the years before the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that the movie is based on. Erik, the Phantom's name comes from the book. Now that I've overwhelmed you all with information, go to your local Blockbuster and rent The Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. Trust me, you'll fall in love. Plus, now you can imagine Edward, Bella, and Jacob as Erik, Christine, and Raoul. ;-)

Thank you for reading, for the alerts, favorites, and especially the reviews!

**Next Time: **Edward and Bella talk ... again and the managers recieve a note.


	10. Notes

**Previously:** The whole Opera Populaire was searching for Bella, who has apparently vanished. Bella kissed ... or attacked ... Edward while he was playing _All I Ask of You_ and then they talked. Right before the chapter ended, Edward told Bella that he is a vampire.

**Music Note: **Nothing for the first part, but once you get to Quin and Embré, pull out your expanded CD or your copy of the movie and watch or listen to _Notes._ For some reason, I love that scene ;-) It was ridiculously stuck in my head when I wrote that part.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 9**

**Notes**

Bella's mind was working overtime to try and accept what Edward had just told her. Vampires. She couldn't remember every detail of Charlie's Cold Ones stories, but the gist came to her instantly. They were immortal, cold, and possessed super-human strength, speed, and senses. There had been more she was sure, but for the life of her she couldn't recall it.

What she did recall was that they drank human blood. Two sides of her did a quick battle. If Edward were going to harm her, he would have done it in the past five years while he was teaching her. He had ample opportunity. If he was going to hurt her now, he would have done it while she was kissing him, not jumped away like he was trying to protect her.

But he had just admitted that he was a vampire and vampires drank blood. So what, he only killed outside of the opera house? Bella was fairly sure she was in love with him, but how could she possibly accept that?

What if he had no choice? What if he had to kill or he would die? Could she accept it then? The very idea made her feel ill.

"Edward," she began, hesitantly, "You have to tell me more. I know what … vampire means, but how does that work? How do you …" She felt utterly incapable of summing up all the questions she had.

He looked like he was being tortured and Bella couldn't stand it. She drew closer to him and said, "Edward, I know you would never hurt me." She felt like he needed the reassurance, as absurd as it seemed.

"I would never hurt you?" He asked, incredulously. "Bella, do you have any idea how close I just came to killing you? I'm a monster for putting you at risk like this!"

Bella held her convictions firmly in mind. "You wouldn't hurt me. I may have just actually met you Edward, but I know you and I know you would never do something like that."

Edward looked like he was about to disagree, but thought better of it. Bella thought it best to change the subject, to something she had been curious about since she first saw him. "How old are you?"

A cynical smile played around his lips. "Twenty." He said, but Bella didn't believe a word of it.

"How long have you been twenty?" She asked.

The smile was gone from Edward's face as he stared at her. "A while." He admitted. "Why aren't you running?"

"Edward," Bella began, terrified of her own heart, but determined to get this out. "I know what you are and I can't make it matter to me. You are so … good. You're a genius, your music is …" There were no words, so she finished, "I can't leave you now. I don't think I ever can."

Her face turned bright red, but she held his gaze. "Bella," he whispered, "How could I have done this to you? You're trapped and I didn't even try to do it."

Bella was sure that the best response to that was not to acknowledge it. His horrible self-image would have to be taken care of another day. She tried to find the right way to phrase what she was going to say next, but nothing was coming to her. There simply was no right way.

"Edward," she paused, searching again for the right words, "I have to ask about … your diet."

His eyes kept boring into hers. "If I said that I killed people and drank their blood, would that make you run away from me?" His voice had dropped low and quiet.

She had to close her eyes and she shivered. "I don't know." The honesty of her answer scared her. How far had she fallen that even murder might not turn her away?

Edward whispered to himself, "God, what have I done to you?" Then he spoke, answering her original question. "My family and I aren't like the others of our kind. They kill and drink human blood. My father has taught us to survive off of animals instead."

Bella's head spun with the relief of his answer and with this new fact about Edward. He had a family? A father and who else? She had never imagined that her angel might have others with him, and it made her feel strange, perhaps jealous? For some reason, she had always imagined that her angel was all alone in the world except for her.

"You have a family?" She asked, relief seeping into her tone from his answers about his diet.

Edward let out a chuckle, surprising her. It hardly seemed the most appropriate time to be laughing. "God, Bella, I always say too much when I'm around you. It's a wonder that you don't know all my secrets."

"There are more?" Bella asked before blushing at her eager answer.

Edward smiled again, this time a sad smile. "None of them are my biological family of course. They died long ago. But I do have an father, a sister, and a brother. My family lives up there." He waved his hand to the ceiling. "In Paris."

Bella was determined to get an answer to a question never fully responded to earlier. "How long ago did your biological family die?"

Edward watched her, amazement filling his eyes. "I wonder if it will bother you. Nothing else seems to."

"I care about you too much to let it." Bella confessed, surprising even herself with her honesty.

"I was born in 1800." He said, after a pause to recover from her confession. "To a woman named Elizabeth Masen who was working in the slums of London. She got sick and so did I, from a disease that they still don't know the name of. We went to a hospital and the man who would become my father was working there. My mother begged him on her deathbed to save me at any cost. My father had been considering creating a companion for quite some time and so he changed me."

Bella wondered if it was wrong for her not to be disturbed by his story. Other things, much more pressing, were occurring to her. "Changing … how does that work?"

Edward's eyes widened slightly and he changed the subject very deliberately, not answering her question. Bella was frustrated, but she would let him leave the subject behind for now. It wasn't like she would forget about it.

"Bella, look at the time. Esme and your friend Rosalie will be worried sick. By now they will probably have the entire theater out looking for you when they need to be practicing for _Il Muto_."

Bella had completely forgotten about the opera tonight. While she was down here with Edward, it was like nothing else in the world mattered.

She considered what lay back up in the Opera Populaire and then thought of all the questions not yet answered, all the things she had yet to do with Edward. She still hadn't gotten to sing to him or hear him fully sing something. She blushed, thinking of earlier this morning and her reaction to hearing him sing even a few lines of a piece. Well, perhaps she would have to be restrained before he started, but she wanted to hear it anyway.

She just couldn't let him escape back into the darkness. She was too terrified that if she did, she would never see him again. He worried too much about harming her. And so she made her decision.

"I don't want to go back up there." She said, with determination.

Edward frowned at her. "You have to. You are going to star in _Il Muto_."

"Star?" Bella asked, surprised.

He almost rolled his eyes. "Of course. After last night's success, you didn't think they would want more?"

"Well, surely Jessica is back by now and they will want her fame over me, wouldn't they?"

"You are absurd Bella. Did you see all the piles of flowers left for you last night? I'm sure there are many more this morning. Do you think that Jessica gets that at her shows?"

Bella blushed and changed her argument, "Yes, but Jessica is so well-known. I'm a nobody." She suddenly realized how off-topic they were getting. "And even if they did want me to star, I don't care. I don't want to go back yet."

"You don't want to go back yet?" Edward didn't seem to believe her. "Bella, in case you missed it, I just told you that I am a vampire who can barely resist drinking your blood. Did you catch that?"

"I know you are. Did _you_ miss the part where I told you it doesn't matter? I …" She cursed her traitorous cheeks which were blazing red again. "I want to hear you sing. Again."

Edward's face looked torn between embarrassment, amusement, and something else that she couldn't name. He dropped the subject quickly. "Even if you don't want to go back, you have to. I don't have food or anything else that humans need."

Bella frowned, put off by this argument. She considered her state and concluded that she did need food, as well as a trip to wash up and a change of clothes. Still, she was reluctant to give up her stance. "Can't you show me the way back, let me get things and then bring me back? I just want to stay here a while longer. Please?" She looked up at him through her lashes in a way she had seen Rose do when she wanted Emmett to do something for her.

"I – I – oh, alright. It's useless when you look at me like that." Edward grumbled. Then his face turned honest again. "A part of me wants you to stay so badly Bella. But that's the weak part. It's best for you if you get as far away from me as possible."

While Bella held in the urge to celebrate out loud, another part of her was torn by what Edward was saying. This was dangerous. The safe thing would be to go back, return to the arms of ordinary society. It was a shame that she had lost the impulse to do the safe thing the moment she had seen Edward.

- - -

After Bella had gone to collect some things from her room, Edward brought her back to his home. He led her back to the curtained bedroom and then retreated to let her have her human moment. He had other things to take care of.

Stealing food from the dormitory's kitchens was not difficult when one was a vampire, but deciding what exactly Bella would want to eat was. How was he, who hadn't eaten in 50 years, supposed to know what she would like? In the end, he just gathered a variety of the most easily preserved foods because who knew how long she would refuse to return to her world.

He decided it was best to pretend that part of him wasn't jumping for joy at the thought.

After his food theft, he was ready to work on the more complex problems presented to him in terms of Bella's career in the opera house. He had planned to tell his new managers that she needed to star in tonight's performance, but that was obviously not going to work out.

Now that he began thinking about these things, all sorts of problems began presenting themselves to him. He drew over to a desk that was half-hidden behind his organ. On it was a mini replica of the stage, stationary, a pen, and dark red wax. His "Phantom of the Opera" materials. He pulled out a white sheet of paper and filled his pen with ink. Yes, there were quite a few things to attend to before Bella came back out.

- - -

Embré was very, very happy. When he had first heard from Esme that Isabella Swan had gone missing, he had been outraged and terrified. Now that he had woken up fully, had some breakfast, and read the morning papers, his mood had taken a definite upswing.

Wherever their new diva had gone, it certainly wasn't going to hurt their sales. "Mystery After Gala Night," he read aloud, extremely pleased with the headlines. "Signora Jessica's Disappearance and Mademoiselle Swan's Magnificent Debut." He sighed happily and began to read the article again.

"When we first reached the Opera Populaire, we thought that the top story here would be the disappearance of their usual prima donna, Jessica Stanlietto. Much to all our surprise, the true mystery of last night's magnificent gala was why Signora Jessica is still the Opera Populaire's lead soprano when they have such a jewel in Isabella Swan."

Embré scanned down the rest of the page, which continued to expound on Isabella's success and the mystery of Jessica's vanishing act. Then he turned to the pile of letters already sitting on his desk from dozens of rich families, all requesting their best seats for the rest of the performances for the week. "Gossip," he proclaimed to the empty office, "is worth its weight in gold."

The Opera Populaire had played all the most famous works from the most famous composers. They had performed flawless pieces. And they had never had such demand for seats as when their star disappeared and was replaced with a nobody who sang like an angel.

_To hell with Gluck and Handel_, he thought, still in a daze of success, _It's a scandal that will pack them in the aisles._

With that charmed thought, he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, exhausted by the triumphs of last night and this morning.

His rest was rudely interrupted by a shout from Quin. Quin rushed into the room, panting from the exertion, and squawking in a way that probably would have been humorous if Embré hadn't been so relaxed before Quin entered the room.

"This is damnable! Are we to lose our entire cast?!"

Embré opened his eyes lazily, wishing Quin would go away so that he could get a bit of sleep. Esme had woken him up hours before he would normally have gotten up. "Quin, please don't shout. This isn't a bad thing. Have you seen the papers?" He picked up the paper that he had examined so many times and handed it to his friend.

As he did so, however, a white envelope tumbled off of it to the floor. Embré bent to pick it up, frowning. That hadn't been there a minute ago.

Quin didn't seem nearly as impressed with the headlines as his friend had been. "This is all very well, but we have no star! Jessica is gone and now Isabella has vanished as well! We're ruined!"

"Yes," Embré answered absently, "but have you seen the lines at the ticket window? They're around the block!"

He turned the envelope over to reveal a red seal with a skull in it. Instantly he recognized where he had seen one of these before, yesterday at the rehearsal. The prank letters from the 'Opera Ghost.'

Quin had noticed what was in his hand and his voice dropped down in volume, as though to speak of the letters loudly would make them more real. "Ah, I've see you've got one too."

He pulled an identical, unopened letter from a back pocket. They exchanged dark looks and both tore open their letters at the same time. Both took a moment to read through and then looked back up at each other. Their faces were both pale with fear and outrage.

Quin took a deep breath and began to read aloud. "Dear Quin, What a charming gala last night. Bella was, in a word, sublime. Jessica's departure was hardly the disaster you would have imagined yesterday, was it? I ask you, why do you insist on casting her when she is obviously seasons past her prime? Your Obedient, OG."

Embré followed him, determined to share his letter as well, which was even more ridiculous. "Dear Embré, Just a brief reminder, my salary has not been paid. Please place it in box five by the end of the month, which is approaching quickly. PS: No one likes a debtor so it's better if my orders are obeyed. Your Obedient, OG."

They stared at each other for a moment before Quin broke into speech, "Who would dare to send these?! What kind of a sick joke is this, on top of everything else we're dealing with?"

"They're both signed OG." Embré replied. He was scanning over the two letters, trying to decipher any clues from them and finding none.

"Opera Ghost." Quin said, with defeat in his tone. "Just like yesterday."

Embré sensed that his friend was on the verge of actually thinking this was worth paying heed to, so he was quick to reassure him. "These are ridiculous! It's some prankster who thinks he can con us out of our well-earned money. Surely just some stagehand. It's best that we ignore it."

Quin nodded, agreeing with his friend. He was about to sit down and begin to make plans for who they were going to cast in the opera tonight and entirely forget about the notes, when there was a loud knock upon their door.

Without waiting for any sort of welcome, the door was flung open to reveal an obviously outraged Jessica.

"What is this supposed to mean!?" She hurled a note at their feet. Both men had sprung up the instant they saw who was in the door. Publicity or not, they would have to cancel tonight's opera without a lead soprano and here one was, walking through their door.

Quin picked up the letter she had thrown at them and the excitement at seeing Jessica faded into foreboding. It was very familiar, the twin to the ones sent to he and Embré. He read it aloud. "Your days at the Opera Populaire are numbered. Soon Isabella Swan will be taking your place. However, if you return now, tonight you will have at least one more show to star in. OG."

Did that mean that Isabella wasn't returning today? Did that mean that she was involved in this whole Opera Ghost business somehow? His musings couldn't go on for long though, as Jessica was very ready to air her concerns on the whole subject. "Who would dare send me such a thing? Surely not either of you?!"

"Signora! Of course not!" Embré hurried to assure her. His happy mood had thoroughly faded. "We missed you so terribly yesterday!"

Luckily, he was spared from having to further lie by his door banging open again. It was a good thing that his office was so large. This time the person behind the door was their patron, the Vicomte de La Pushe. _God, I hope none of these ridiculous letters went to him._

"What's this I hear of Bella vanishing?" He burst out as soon as his foot was through the door. Embré and Quin stared at each other, at a loss for what to say to quell their former friend's apparent rage.

"I came in just to see what the plans were for tonight and the whole opera house is buzzing. They can't find her anywhere!" If there weren't so many other things to deal with, the new managers might have found Jacob's fascination with the subject of Bella Swan to be interesting. As it was it was all they could do to deal with both him and Jessica at once.

Quin worked to calm him down. "That's true, Vicomte. We aren't entirely sure of Mademoiselle Swan's location at the moment, but I'm sure she'll show up soon."

Unfortunately for him, this little speech did absolutely nothing to calm Jacob down. "She'll show up soon?" He repeated in outrage. "You have no idea where she is? How can your star soprano just vanish from under your nose?!"

His referring to Bella as the 'star soprano,' however, was enough to set Jessica off again. Embré feared that his head was going to explode with headache when the door was pushed open again. At least it was done more calmly this time.

The open door revealed Esme Hale and her daughter. The eternally lovely Rosalie looked worried and worse-for-the-wear, but Esme seemed surprisingly calm for having just lost her surrogate daughter. Their presence calmed the office so that Esme could speak.

Quin broke the silence by asking a question, "Well? Has Mademoiselle Swan returned?"

"No." Esme said, but she didn't seem nearly as torn up by this fact as she had been just hours ago when she had first spoken to them. She held out another white envelope and said words that Quin was dreading. "I have a note for you."

All four people in the room shot out their hands to take it, including Jacob who was reading over the notes that Jessica and the managers had gotten. Esme responded to their clamor by drawing the note back to herself opening it. Then she began to read aloud.

"Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of a most amiable nature detailing how my theater is to be run. You have not followed my instructions as of yet, but I am sure that that will change very soon. Do not fear for Bella Swan, for I have her safe and sound. In tonight's production of _Il Muto_, Jessica will return to her starring role. I would hope that she does well, seeing as this may be the last time she has such a role. I will allow you to sell box five just this once, as I will not be able to attend tonight's performance. As always, Your Obedient, OG."

"This is insanity!" Quin burst out, unable to contain himself. "Who does this prankster think he is?!"

Esme looked up from the note to stare at him. "I told you yesterday that the Opera Ghost, the one that the chorus girls call the Phantom of the Opera, is perfectly real. You would do well to follow his requests."

"But! But, Madame!" Embré spluttered, "He claims to have Bella Swan! This must be investigated further!"

Esme turned her eyes back to the note and took a deep breath. "I have no doubt that he does have Bella." She said, quietly, "But I also do not doubt that he is telling the truth when he says she will come to harm."

"This is absurd." Jessica's screech made them all jump a little. "You cannot tell me that the two of you are taking this all seriously!"

Quin and Embré eyed each other. They _were_ taking this seriously, or at least more seriously than they had before. However, if it was true that Bella wasn't returning to them soon, then they had best begin to grovel. They needed a star for their show.

"Of course not Signora! Never!" Both began to protest, going to her side.

Meanwhile, Jacob had taken the letter from Esme and was examining each of the letters in turn. "Madame Hale," he said, quietly under the noise from the managers' exclamations over Jessica. "Last night, Bella mentioned that she had seen an 'angel of music'. I laughed it off, but reading this … I'm concerned." He was restraining his language considerably.

Rosalie had drawn near and her face was growing ever more white. "Mom, you don't think that …" Esme turned from the Vicomte to her daughter and then closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"I know nothing more than either of you do." She lied, but it was apparently convincing because Rose and the Vicomte both turned away from her to look over the letters again.

_Edward and Bella_. Esme mused, half-terrified and half-delighted. _I do hope that both of you know what you are doing._

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Wow guys, I hope that you're happy. No cliff-hanger! I know, I know, you're welcome. You're actually very lucky to be getting this chapter. If my teachers hadn't decided to give me a light load today (I know, unheard of) then this wouldn't be up ... life has decided now is a very good time to come crashing down on me. Oh well, here you go anyway!

Bella doesn't go home now because there are more things I need her to do down with Edward ... can you say Music of the Night? I made Edward 20 because I just can't envision the Phantom of the Opera being a teenager ... even Edward as a teenager. Sorry if it bothers you, it's not important at all, so you can just ignore it ;-) Any other questions, ask in a review! Thanks so much for reviewing last chapter, now tell me what you think of this one!

**Next Time: **Two people meet two other people ... cryptic? Yes!


	11. Meeting the Family

**Previously:** Edward told Bella about himself ... the vampire part ... and then sent notes to the managers. Bella is staying at least one more night.

**Music Note: **I got nothing. Next chapter though ... next chapter I have lots. ;-)

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 10**

**Meet the Family**

From the moment that Esme had seen the letter flutter down from the rafters during rehearsal, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She had suspected that Edward would have Bella, but that didn't stop a mother from worrying herself to death. There hadn't been any proof, after all. Thank god for Edward's theatrical side.

Knowing with certainty where Bella was had restored Esme to her normal self, rather than the mess she had been all morning. Even taking the letter to the managers, who were scared and outraged hadn't been able to disturb her new found calm.

Even Rose and the Vicomte, who both seemed as determined to worry about Bella as ever, had been unable to wreck her mood. She wished that she could convince them that Bella was safe, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to do that unless she told them the details, which she wasn't willing to do.

Now, she had set her ballet to rehearsals and was out of the theater as quickly as she could manage it. Proof of Bella's location and her belief in Edward weren't quite enough for her when she knew she could have more. Besides, Carlisle needed to know, if he didn't yet.

That was how she found herself in a carriage, heading down the familiar route to Carlisle's apartment and office. It was in one of the best parts of town, there wasn't much else that Carlisle had to spend money on, after all, and he had eternity to collect it. _Eternity_, she thought, before shaking herself. She needed to focus, not be sidetracked by that question of her future, which was always on the edge of her mind.

She stepped down from the carriage and sent the driver off. She told him to come back in an hour, although she wasn't really sure when she would be done here.

Then she proceeded up the steps of the building to the door that was labeled in brass letters. "Carlisle Cullen, Medical Practice."

Carlisle told her that he usually worked in larger hospitals, but had found the hospital in Paris to be too disgusting. With his centuries of accumulated medical experience, he usually knew what would be best for his patients, but the large hospital here was unwilling to listen to his reason, continuing their barbaric "medical cures".

Although he couldn't treat as many patients in a smaller, personal practice, at least he could treat them well. She smiled to herself. That was her Carlisle.

She rang the bell and was greeted by one of Carlisle's secretaries. The woman smiled at her and ushered her into the room, saying, "Come in Esme, dear! I don't think Dr. Cullen is expecting you, is he?"

_Madame Cope, that's her name_, Esme recalled. She was a sweet and grandmotherly lady who was always trying to get Carlisle to take better care of himself: to eat more and go to sleep earlier. Little did she know how ineffectual those actions were.

Madame Cope sat Esme down on a sofa in the waiting room. "I'll just go tell him you're here dear. He's in a meeting right now, but I'm sure he won't mind being interrupted by you."

Esme considered telling her not to bother him while he was in a meeting, but this was a matter of some urgency. She wanted to know what exactly was going on with her children. Madame Cope went to the door that led to Carlisle's personal office and Esme frowned. Who was he visiting that he brought there? Patients just went to the exam rooms.

"Esme is here to see you Carlisle." She said, "Can this be interrupted?" She waved her hand inside the room. The more childish side of Esme wanted to lean around Madame Cope to try and see who was in his office, but she stifled the urge.

Then Carlisle's smooth voice was speaking and she lost focus to the rest of her thoughts for a moment. _Am I ever going to get over that?_ She wondered, embarrassed by her reactions to him, _It's been two years._

"No, bring her in. I wanted her to meet Alice and Jasper anyway." With the end of his statement, Esme was brought back to earth with a clunk. Now? Meet Carlisle's daughter and other son right now when she was already worried sick about Edward and Bella? She wasn't ready yet!

It was only the knowledge that they all already knew she was here that kept her from bolting out the door. God, this was all so unlike her! Usually she took to people very quickly, but maybe that was just the problem. She was terrified that if Alice and Jasper didn't like her, then Carlisle would somehow not admire her as much.

It was ridiculous, she knew that, but it didn't stop the insecurities from coming to the surface. After all, she had been dropped like old garbage before, by the scumbag who was Rosalie's father. He had her thoroughly convinced that he was in love with her, that he wanted to marry her, and then one day he was just gone.

_These stupid feelings don't even make sense!_ She raged against her own misgivings, but that didn't stop her from having them. It was that same rage, though, that drove her through the door that was now held open by Madame Cope with a smile plastered on her face.

She distantly remembered Alice and Jasper from their first meeting two years earlier, but would only recognize them on the street by the characteristic signs of a vampire. Alice was tiny with short black hair and Jasper towered over her, lean and blond. Both of them were beautiful and pale, of course.

She tried to remember everything Carlisle had ever told her about them as she walked towards them both. "Hello, I'm Esme Hale. Carlisle has told me so much about you."

Alice grinned at her widely. "We were just talking about you! Well, sort of. I'm so excited to meet you, you're going to fit into our family just perfectly!" Alice then proceeded to ignore Esme's hand that was reached out to shake and threw her arms around Esme. Well, that was unexpected. Even Carlisle's warnings about Alice's easily excitable behavior hadn't prepared her for such a warm welcome.

"Fit into your family?" Esme asked hesitantly after Alice had bounced back over to Jasper's side. Jasper didn't go to her to greet her in any way, but Esme reminded herself that that was all because he was still not perfect at their chosen lifestyle. The pained expression on his face cut through all her nerves and she felt her maternal instinct coming back in full force. Poor thing.

Alice was chatting on, "Oh yes, I don't see any options except that at this point. You're so pretty! And you make Carlisle so happy. If only my brother could be as up front with the love of his life." She frowned, but only briefly. A blank expression filled her eyes for a moment and then she jumped, clapping her hands and grinning.

"Oh good, Jasper! We're going to get to meet Bella today! I was hoping it would work out like that if we decided to go visit Edward, but I couldn't be sure."

Jasper smiled weakly as Esme recalled that both of them were _gifted_ in ways beyond that of an ordinary vampire. What an oxymoron. Alice could see the future, which explained her comments about Esme's future with their family, and Jasper could sense emotions. She thought about being embarrassed that he had sensed her nervousness when she first entered the room, but decided that it didn't matter, since she wasn't feeling nervous anymore.

Besides, Jasper probably had enough on his plate dealing with her blood, she wouldn't add to an emotional overload. "Jasper, is it alright for you if I stand over here?" She drew closer to Carlisle and farther from his children.

It was amazing how quickly all the nerves had melted away in the face of actually meeting them. She belonged in this family, Alice was right.

Jasper smiled at her, looking surprised. "I'm really fine Esme. Don't worry about it."

Alice shoved his shoulder lightly. Esme wondered if she was trying to tell him an 'I told you so.' Was it possible that the two of them had been nervous for this encounter as well?

Well, Alice wouldn't have been nervous. Esme found herself hard-pressed to think of any situation that might disturb Alice, always living in the future. Strange, she had only known the two for mere minutes and she still felt like they were her children as well as Carlisle's.

Thinking this, she realized that she had yet to greet the man who might one day be her husband. She blushed at the possessive thought. _Or maybe_, said a less restrained part of her mind, _what do vampires call them? His mate._

She brushed off the unwanted thoughts and walked over to lean into his side. Carlisle welcomed her with open arms. He brushed a kiss over her hair and then asked, "What's wrong Esme, what brought you here?"

Right! There had been a reason she was here, wasn't there. "I was wondering if you knew that Edward has Bella." She said, cutting straight through.

Carlisle sighed and sat down, after pulling a chair over so that she could sit beside him. Alice and Jasper remained standing, Alice in Jasper's arms. "Yes, that's what Alice and Jasper were just telling me. He was planning to … introduce himself after the gala last night. I didn't know that it was going to be an overnight stay."

"I did." Alice piped up. "Bella's not quite as clear with her future as you are, Esme, but there's a distinct possibility …" she trailed off, leaving the other three with only guesses as to what was in the future.

Jasper said, "She does this a lot. Edward's the only one who can handle her." He grinned and hugged his wife tighter.

Oh yes, Edward could handle her mysterious outbreaks because Edward could read minds. Esme usually tried to forget about this fact when she was around him because her maternal thoughts and urges would embarrass her otherwise.

"Well," Esme said, turning her mind away from that subject, "he sent a letter to the managers, several letters actually. I was worried this morning when we couldn't find her, but then the letters showed up."

Alice rolled her eyes. "That's like him. My brother is very dramatic, though he'll deny it. This whole 'Phantom' business is going to get him in trouble though." Her eyes got distant again, watching some possible future. She frowned at whatever she had seen. "Well," she muttered, "you can't say I didn't warn him."

Esme decided that the last comment was probably about whatever she had seen in her vision and ignored it. "Edward didn't tell us when he would bring her back though. And how do we know that he's going to be able to stay in control?" Concern seeped into her tone, and not just concern for Bella. If Edward killed Bella, her adopted daughter would be gone and she couldn't imagine what Edward would do to himself.

"Don't worry about it Esme," Alice said in her usual, peppy voice. Apparently the strain over whatever vision she had just seen was gone. "Jazz and I are going to visit Edward in just a minute and we'll make sure that Bella's safe."

"I know Edward will take care of her, I just worry about what would happen to both of them if … there was a slip." Carlisle gripped her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

All four of them went silent for a moment, imagining that awful possibility. Alice was the one to break it, as usual. "I don't see that happening now though." She said, "And so many wonderful things could happen … come on Jazz, let's go visit my future sister."

There was something about the way Alice walked that made Esme smile. It was like she was dancing all the time. Jasper looked pained again as he walked past her, but that just made Esme feel more maternal toward him. Oh yes, she was going to fit in with them just fine.

Carlisle pulled her over to him as soon as they had walked out the door. "I love you." He said, his golden eyes warm.

She smiled, feeling at home. "I love you too. And I just realized that I'm going to love them."

Carlisle grinned widely and hugged her tightly before kissing her. "You're perfect. See, there was absolutely nothing to worry about."

She laughed and said, "No, I guess there wasn't was there?"

- - -

Although Edward knew without a doubt that he wanted Bella here with him, he was rather at a loss for what exactly they were supposed to do now. He had just finished setting up Bella's meal for her and she was now eating with obvious relish. He was glad that he had chosen well, but thought that her not eating for more than twelve hours was the more likely cause of her hunger than his less-than-appetizing food selections.

When he had imagined bringing Bella down here before, he had always envisioned them singing together. After what happened this morning and just moments ago, however, he decided that it would probably be best not to tempt fate.

After writing and delivering the notes to his managers, Jessica, and Esme, Edward had returned to find Bella still behind the curtains. He had knocked, asking for admittance after only moments, unable to stand the suspense when she was right there.

He had found her examining his music box, the one from Persia with the monkey. She had just managed to find how it worked and the melody was tinkling around the room. Edward drank in the sight of her smile and grinned to himself before singing the lyrics to the song.

"Masquerade,  
Paper faces on parade,  
Masquerade,  
Hide your face so the world can never find you."

He had always liked this song, so he barely noticed Bella's reaction until she was standing inches away from him. Was he never going to be able to sing in front of her without this sort of reaction? He tried to focus on his aggravation at the ways she tempted him and fought back the side that was delighted that he tempted Bella.

As he was considering this, he heard distant, mental voices. They surprised him for a moment and he realized that he hadn't heard anyone's mind in more than twelve hours. Although the silence always coming from Bella's mind drove him insane, it was also comforting to have quiet.

And they were very familiar mental voices, now that they drew nearer. Bella was finishing her breakfast and looked up as he clenched his hands down on the table he had cleared off for her. "What is it?" She asked.

Edward wondered if he had become more obvious in his emotions since moving to the Opera Populaire, or if she was just the most perceptive person he had ever met. He hoped for the latter. "My brother and sister are coming."

Bella stood up immediately and looked around her wildly. "How do you know?" She asked as she flew around, straightening up random pieces of music on the floor. Edward watched her in confusion. What _was_ she doing?

"I can hear their minds." Edward said, as though it was obvious. It occurred to him that he had forgotten to mention that detail to Bella when she froze and dropped the sheets of music in her hand.

"You can read minds?!" She started out at a whisper, but her voice grew to a shout as the question went on.

Edward almost laughed, but managed to restrain himself. This was what she finally chose to get worked up about, after every other revelation? "I guess I forgot to tell you that."

Bella had placed both of her hands over her mouth and Edward stared at her quizzically. He hoped that was an expression of shock, not her trying to somehow block her thoughts from him by covering her mouth. "Can you hear what I'm thinking right now?" She squeaked from behind her hands.

"No," he said honestly, "I can't read your mind."

Bella dropped her hands and Edward could tell that it was shock this time. "Why not? Not that I'm complaining."

He was complaining, but he decided not to bring that up. "I don't know. You're the only exception to my gift that I've ever met and you always have been." He hesitated for a moment, but remembered her reaction to his 'gift' and decided to tell her, "My brother and sister are gifted too. She can see the future, so she'll probably be really weird about it and he can sense and change emotion. You'll –"

But he was cut off by the arrival of the very two people that he was talking about. They came from the passage that led to the outside of Paris, where he had gone with Jasper to hunt … was it just yesterday?

He gave them both a forced smile. He would have been happier to see them if they'd mentioned that they were coming beforehand. Alice was the first to reach them of course, bounding forward to stand in front of Bella. He glanced at his angel, hoping that Alice hadn't been going too fast for her human eyes to follow. He couldn't tell either way, but she was smiling now at least.

Jasper followed behind his wife, going at a more sedate pace. When Alice bounced up to Bella and hugged her exuberantly, Jasper shook his head and smiled indulgently. He said to Edward. "She's already done this once today with Esme. Alice has been looking forward to this day for quite a while."

That was interesting enough information to make Edward look up from his examination of Bella and Alice's interaction. Bella didn't seem too worse for the wear despite all of Alice's excitement. In fact, she was laughing. He would never understand her.

"You met Esme?" He asked, allowing Alice the time he knew she would want with Bella. "What do you think?"

"She's perfect for Carlisle."

Edward nodded, "Yes, they're perfect together."

Jasper was watching Alice and Bella even while he talked to Edward. "Until right now, I would have said that I'd never met anyone so completely not phased by our … lack of humanity. Your Bella though, she wins the prize for that round. She really only just found out that you were a vampire this morning?"

Edward followed Jasper's gaze to his sister and the love of his life. Bella was smiling at Alice, who was chattering on about something. Her thoughts were a babble that was much the same as what she was saying. _I love her, Edward! I'm sorry for doubting you, really. I just wasn't looking closely enough to see all of this!_

Edward's emotions were split on that statement from Alice. The weaker side of him wanted to jump for joy at the futures playing out in her head for them, while the good side, the one that knew what was right, had never felt guiltier. He didn't deserve a future with her. She deserved better than a future with him.

He tried to brush aside the emotions to examine later and turned his attention to Jasper's thoughts. He was thinking about Esme again, but before Edward could read much, he voiced his thoughts out loud. "She has an overdeveloped maternal instinct, that one."

Edward recalled early days in the Opera Populaire, before Bella, when Esme had first found his traps and tunnels. The scolding that she had given him had been ridiculous and monumental to him. A woman, physically only a handful of years older than he, was yelling at him, a vampire, for sneaking around the opera house at night.

He still couldn't exactly recall how she had caught him, but he did know that their bond had been quickly made and irrevocable. From the instant that she chose to yell at him as she would at her ten-year-old daughter rather than cowering in fear, she had become most significant mother figure that he could remember.

He gave Jasper a small smile. "Yeah, she's incredible with the mothering. She'll adopt anything. Now, I'm going to go save Bella from your wife."

Alice's stream of chatter hadn't let up and Bella had gone from an amused expression to one of simple overwhelmed awe. "Alice," Edward cut in smoothly, "Bella just found out about your talent a minute ago. Don't go throwing every possible future she has in her face." Trying to comfort his angel, he tentatively slid his arm over her shoulders. He was reassured when Bella let out a very quiet, happy breath and moved over so that her body was touching his.

Jasper's mind was full of questions, _How can you do it, Edward? _Alice was simply joyful. "I think blue." She said, decidedly. Edward looked up at her, questioning, but apparently her statement was about some far-off and only potential future, because she had moved on from it very quickly.

Edward sighed and turned to his love, "Bella, this is Alice and this is Jasper. I apologize if they've overwhelmed you. They can do that." He sent a glare at Alice, but she didn't even acknowledge it, too wrapped up in the shadowy and distant future.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." Jasper said, politely. He seemed completely in control, so Edward let his guard down on that front.

Bella smiled back at him and said, "You too."

There was no other girl in the world who could handle being dragged down to the lair of a man they had thought was an angel for five years, demand to stay there, _kiss_ that man, find out he wasn't human, and then politely and happily greet his insane family. Bella was certainly one of a kind.

He shook his head, in awe of her, especially when he could feel that her emotions were just as calm as they seemed. Jasper's talent was useful, although it wasn't as good as being able to read her mind would be.

Alice had started talking again though, so he paid attention. "We just met Esme, and she's so perfect that I can barely stand it. She and Carlisle are made for each other, just like you two."

Now Bella wasn't quite so calm. "Hold on." She said, emotions suddenly and violently through the roof. "Carlisle and Esme? What do they have to do with you?"

It occurred to Edward that he really should have written down all the things he had to tell her or something, because this seemed to be happening regularly. "Sorry," he said, wincing at her shock, "I guess I forgot to mention that one as well."

"What one?" Bella asked, turning to Alice at Edward's lack of answers. Alice was looking embarrassed.

"Sorry Bella!" She called out, "I forgot that you didn't know that yet. Carlisle is our father."

Bella looked back at Edward, "So that means that when you said that Esme knows everything …"

Jasper finally managed to send out calming emotions to everyone. Edward sent him a brief glare, not very speedy reactions there, Jasper, and then turned to answer Bella's question. Thankfully, the anger and surprise were fading from her eyes quickly.

"Yes," Edward admitted. "She's known what I am for quite a while and knew what Carlisle is as soon as she met him."

It was one of those times that Edward really wished he could read her mind, because her reply was a vague, "Hmm." She looked unmistakably like she had things on her mind, but didn't seem at all prepared to share them with him.

He was focusing so much effort on Bella, that he didn't realize anything was going on in Jasper or Alice's minds until Alice let out a brief little gasp and then immediately began imagining what he could only assume was her latest … encounter with Jasper in vivid detail in her mind. Edward winced and tried to block her out.

Whatever it was that she had seen, Alice suddenly seemed determined to leave as quickly as possible. "It was nice to meet you, Bella, I know we're going to be great friends, but we've really got to go now. Edward, be careful! But don't worry too much, it's all going to be fine."

In her mind, she broke away from visualizing Jasper just long enough to say, _when the time comes, Music of the Night is __**incredible**__!_

Then she scurried away, pulling a shrugging Jasper along behind her. "Alice!" He called after her, "What's that supposed to mean?" But she ignored him and faded off into the distance.

He turned to Bella, to see what damage his siblings had wreaked on her state of mind. She collapsed into a nearby chair and said, "Carlisle and Esme?" There was a moment of silence and then she said, "Well, so that's your brother and sister."

Edward nodded, trying to restrain his amusement at her reactions. She glanced over a sheet of music on the table beside her and then looked up at him again. "As long as you don't have anymore deep, dark secrets for today, Edward, I think this is all going to be fine. You can stop looking so worried."

With that she went back to reading through the sheet of music and Edward was left shaking his head. She was so incredible.

* * *

**A/N: **I know! You're all probably feeling like I have abandoned you! I'm so sorry, but everything has just crashed down around me right now. I have both good and bad news for you all. The good news, next chapter will be Music of the Night. If that doesn't make you excited, go watch the scene in the movie and think about how I'm going to do it. ;-) The bad news, I'm leaving at 3:00 AM tomorrow for a trip to the south (Alabama, Georgia, so on ...) and I'm not getting back until the 21st. Rest assured, on the 22nd, the new chapter will be up. It's my favorite so far, so I hope it will be worth it! Once again thanks so much for the reviews! Please, hit that button and do your good deed for the day!

**Next Time:** Edward and Bella have a chapter full of singing. And maybe a little something more ...


	12. Music of the Night

**Previously: **Esme met Jasper and Alice and then Bella met Jasper and Alice. Bella found out that Edward can read minds.

**Music Note: **Lots and lots!!! First, _All I Ask of You_, then the last little part of _Phantom of the Opera_ (you know, the crazy high part that I'm always afraid will break windows when I attempt to shriek it in the shower ;-) ), and then _Music of the Night._ Enjoy!

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 11**

**Music of the Night**

When Esme returned to the Opera Populaire, it was to find it much as she had left it. Quin and Embré had evidently succeeded in convincing Jessica to take up the role of prima donna once more, because rehearsals had reached a fever pitch. For a moment, Esme felt bad for leaving them even for a short while, but she remembered what she had done while absent and smiled. It was certainly worth it.

She dove into rehearsals with a vengeance, not showing her ballet girls even a hint of the happy meeting that she had just had. When they finally seemed to be getting their routines down, she let them have a quick break though, which was unlike her.

Rosalie took this time to hurry up to her mother. "Where were you?" She demanded, "Do you know anything else about Bella?" Without giving her mother a chance to answer either question, she kept talking. "Yesterday Bella was telling me about her mystery tutor and she said that she thought you knew something about it. Do you?"

Esme took a deep breath. She knew Rose wasn't going to drop it. "Rose," she said, quietly, hoping for a miracle, "Please, just this once, let it go. I promise you that Bella isn't going to be harmed."

_Well, at least I hope so._ She amended mentally. She had faith in Edward's control, but accidents did happen, and she worried for them. Rose was staring at her, looking betrayed. "So you do know about this teacher of hers."

Both their voices had dropped to whispers, instinctively knowing that these were subjects that no one beside themselves needed to hear about. "Rose …" Esme was at a loss for what to say. "Just … there's so much you don't know. Trust me. Everything will turn out for the best."

As she said it, Esme desperately hoped that it was true. "Now get back out there, we have a performance tonight."

"Mom my best friend is with the Phantom of the Opera! How can we just sit here like sheep and perform this stupid, pointless opera while she is with him?" Rose's exclamations were drawing the eyes of the other girls who were getting water or stretching. She lowered her voice again. "He's a murderer. You remember all the stories. Remember Joseph, all those years ago? The Phantom is heartless! You would leave Bella down there with him?"

Esme fought the urge to yell at her daughter. "Rosalie, do not speak of things you do not know about." Her voice was icy and quiet. "You repeat rumors. I know the Phantom of the Opera, and I am telling you to let it go."

Esme turned away from Rose and called all the girls back to rehearsal. In just an hour they would be met by the main leads of tonight's show of _Il Muto_ and the orchestra would come down, so they needed to be perfect by then. Esme forcibly shoved all other thoughts from her mind, especially Rose's reminders of Edward's darker side.

"Now! Back to scene five and I want it perfect this time!" She called out, mind still miles away beneath the opera house.

- - -

Bella felt strange eating around Edward. She was having an early dinner and as Edward watched her eat again, she felt like she should offer him something. Her logical side kept rolling its eyes.

It felt like the day had flown away from her. She and Edward had spent it talking, discussing some of the pieces littering his home and his past and Carlisle and Esme and … so much more. It all gone so quickly! Soon _Il Muto_ would begin, she would go to sleep, and tomorrow she would return to the world up above.

There was one thing she knew that she had to do before that though. It was simply not all right for her to go the entire time with her angel, her teacher, and only hear him sing one thing when he didn't know she was listening. Besides, she had interrupted that piece very early on. She blushed at the memory and Edward was quick to notice.

"What is it?" he asked, already sounding amused at her flush.

Bella shook her head quickly, not wanting to bring that particular subject up again. She gulped down a last bite of bread and then stood up. Edward followed her, question in his eyes.

"I want to sing." Bella said, determined. She wasn't going to take no for an answer on this point. Her eyes met Edward's and as she stared into the burning gold of his, she knew that he was remembering what had happened the last time he had sung this morning.

Her blush was back full force, but she remained unmoved. "Edward," she said, "I have been imagining meeting you for years, and it had always involved singing. I can … um, restrain myself." She wanted to sink into the ground out of embarrassment, but refused to let herself. She was going to go through with this. It was her angel of music!

"If you want to, then of course you can sing." Edward said after a long pause. Now that he had decided to agree with her, she let out a sigh of relief. He was purposeful now.

He held out his hand, ungloved now, and she placed hers in it. The tingle and heightened sensation there had become almost familiar. He led her over to the organ and sat down on the bench, leaving her standing beside him.

He turned to look at her and their eyes met again for a long moment, burning into each other. It felt as if he could see into her soul and Bella wondered for a moment if he hadn't been lying when he had said that he couldn't read her mind. It seemed like he could know anything. At least, she would tell him anything when he looked at her like that.

Finally he broke their gazes to shuffle through the music on the organ. She saw the piece he had been singing that morning and blushed again, cursing her cheeks. Why was her embarrassment so obvious? He flipped through some other pieces, and then came back to that one.

Bella thought about objecting, but was too embarrassed to point out the memory of her impetuous actions. The words, "All I Ask of You" were written on the top in flawless script. After a moment's hesitation, Edward looked up at her to gauge her reaction. "I just wrote this last night, so it's a bit rough …" he trailed off.

"It's for my opera." He said, more certain of himself on this try. Then he frowned at the piece and continued, "Well, perhaps. I haven't entirely decided yet."

Now his voice had turned into one she was very familiar with. It was that of her teacher. "It's a duet, as you … ah, heard, but I think we could just work on your part for now."

The way that he said 'your part' made her heart thump faster for some reason. It wasn't the female part, it wasn't the soprano part, it was written just for her. And then other parts of his speech began to sink in. "Your opera?" She asked, amazed, "You're writing an opera? What's it about, what's it called?" She was eager, wondering why he had failed to mention this when they were talking about his music earlier.

Edward looked uncomfortable. "Don Juan Triumphant." He mumbled. "It's not finished and I don't know how I'm going to end it. For now let's just …" He pushed the piece over to her and she picked it up, scanning the notes.

It was beautiful. She had picked up on that this morning, but now, seeing the whole song, she was amazed by it. "You wrote this whole thing last night?" She breathed, in awe.

Edward wasn't meeting her eyes. "Yes, I'm pretty fast at that you know." He grinned, looking up at her again. "Vampire speed."

It was the first time that she had heard him joke about what he was and she looked at him for a moment in shock before breaking into a smile as well. It might seem strange that they could joke about something so serious, so close to heart, but she supposed that was one way to deal with it.

Suddenly she was excited to sing. He pulled the sheet down so that he could see it from the side and then pointed to a part halfway down the first page. "Start here and just skip over things that aren't your part."

She was already reading through it in her mind. "Got it," she said, breathily, caught up in his music even without playing it out loud. She loved this piece, it was so unlike him, but so beautiful. Happy and light. Did she dare believe that she might have inspired this? That made her want to blush, but she held it back, focusing on the task at hand. She wanted to be worthy of this.

"Okay," Edward nodded at her, counting out the rhythm mentally so that she could catch on. He needn't have done anything; the beat and melody were practically engrained in her bones. It was so natural that she didn't even have a chance to become nervous about singing literally in front of him for the first time ever.

She took a deep breath into her diaphragm as Edward had taught her again and again and began to sing.

"Say you love me every waking moment,  
Turn my head with talk of summertime."

Edward looked up at her from playing accompaniment and met her eyes. She looked so delighted, bright, and alive that it made up in spades all the difficulties of forcing out this song the night before. It was made for her, although it was different from his usual style. It was a tribute to her, to what he wished he could be for her.

"Say you need me with you now and always,  
Promise me that all you say is true.  
That's all I ask of you."

He felt like he could suddenly and completely understand why Bella had lost her senses and kissed him this morning. She was so gorgeous, so tempting, singing his song to him. He desperately wanted to sing the duet part to her, but resisted, halting the song.

"Good." He said, his voice cracking only a tiny bit. "Just, uh, hold the 'say' both times a little longer and make sure to wait a beat before the last line."

Bella stared into his eyes for a long moment and Edward wondered if he ought to make sure she was still awake. "Bella?" He asked, as the silence dragged on.

She shook herself and nodded, he supposed to his earlier comments on her singing. "You're a genius Edward. This is amazing. You just wrote this last night? Really?"

He ran a hand through his already messy hair in a very human gesture of awkwardness. "Thank you." He said. "From your entrance again then?"

She sang through it again, this time going on to her second verse before Edward stopped the song again. "Bella," he interrupted, "There's really nothing to perfect here. You sound amazing."

Bella blushed, typically. She fought back shyness to say, "It's like it was made for me to sing. It's all you again Edward. I would be nothing without you."

He tried to change the subject, very obviously. "You'll be playing the star in _Il Muto_ tomorrow night, Bella, perhaps we should work on those songs."

Bella was puzzled. They had barely started on All I Ask of You and she was in love with this song. Why must they change to a ridiculous, pointless comedy? Besides, they had worked on the _Il Muto_ songs before! She knew them by heart already.

"Edward, I want to keep working on this! We're not even close to finishing it." Edward eyed his piece again and then got up and walked over to a bookshelf filled with musical scores. Bella wondered if Edward had bought these or if Carlisle had gotten them for him. Although Carlisle being Edward's 'father' was sinking in, she still couldn't imagine Edward outside of his home.

Unaware of the off-topic thoughts swirling in Bella's head, Edward answered, "Well, I think we should work on –"

Bella interrupted him. "What's this about, Edward? You know that I have _Il Muto_ down."

Edward sighed. She knew him too well. He sat down at the bench again, _Il Muto_ score dangling in his hand uselessly. He stared at it. "When you sing this, I want to sing it with you. I'm not sure that would be a good idea." He looked up at her earnestly, trying to make sure her feelings weren't hurt by his statement. It was rather egotistical, now that he thought about it.

Bella turned bright red but kept looking at him. "I can keep control of myself, I promise." She was slightly humiliated, but tried to hide it.

He stared into her eyes, gauging her reaction. "It's not that I don't like it when you lose control, Bella. It's just too tempting. Your blood is so appealing to me, I can't resist when you surprise me like that." He looked pained, hating that he had to explain things like this to her. He wished that he could just be normal for her, but that wasn't going to happen.

Bella took a deep breath and tried to somehow center herself, to give herself a way to remain unaffected by his singing. "Let's try it." She said, as ready as she was ever going to be.

There was no denying that Edward wanted this as much as Bella did, so he gave in without much effort on her part. He would just monitor both of them very carefully. And so he began to play the piano introduction and then was singing the same lyrics from that morning.

"No more talk of darkness,  
Forget these wide eyed fears,"

Bella closed her eyes and breathed in as his voice floated over her. It was more than just singing. He was saying the lyrics to her, feeling them. She felt a heady rush as she realized with instantaneous clarity that she loved Edward, despite every obstacle in their path, despite the secrets that he had kept for so long. And, as he sang the lyrics he had written with her in mind, she had never felt so adored.

Bella almost missed her cue, she was so lost in Edward, but she didn't. As she had told Edward earlier, it was like this music was already in her mind, it came to her so naturally. She smiled as she held the 'say' long, just for him.

"Say you need me with you, now and always,  
Promise me that all you say is true,  
That's all I ask of you."

She was lost in the music, in the passion and feeling that was flowing between them. Then they were on the chorus, and as Edward sang, Bella's emotions peaked and her eyes shone.

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime  
Let me lead you from your solitude.  
Say you need me with you here beside you  
Anywhere you go, let me go too"

She almost cried when the music ended suddenly. "What? Why are you stopping, Edward?" She said, pained by the halt. She had been good, hadn't she? She looked around her, checking to make sure that she hadn't started kissing him by accident while she wasn't paying attention, but she hadn't. She just wanted that voice to keep going.

Edward laughed at her, "Bella, it was your part. See?" He gestured to the music sheet and she saw that he was right. Her cheeks turned red and she hated how much that happened around him.

"That's all I ask of you." She sang, quietly. "Oops. I guess I just …" She didn't want to say anymore for fear of being even more embarrassing. Admitting that she was lost in his voice after they had both acknowledged that she couldn't control herself while he sang would just add to the humiliation for Bella, even if it was the truth.

"I didn't want to interrupt you. I can't match your voice!" She said, saying another side of the truth that wasn't quite as awkward for her.

Edward stared at her like she was insane. "You can't match … what?"

Bella looked down, hoping she wasn't offending his teaching. "Edward, your voice is like magic. I'm good, you've made me very good, but I can't match what you can do with your voice."

There was a long moment of silence filled with Bella fiddling with her hands and Edward staring some more. When he spoke again, there was a tone she had never heard before in his voice. His fingers were back on the keys to his organ and he was playing a melody that she hadn't heard either.

"Bella," he said, his voice a dark command. "I want you to sing. Sing for me." He darted his hands over to the side of the keys, picking out a high but basic melody. "Sing that and go up the scale."

She didn't dare argue with that tone. She wasn't sure that she could have if she wanted to. "Ah, ah, ah, ah-ah, ahaa, ah." Her voice sailed through the air, lifted by the background that Edward played, which intensified over time.

She repeated the wordless melody with the next set of notes, and then up again. It only took three repeats of his melody before Bella was looking at Edward doubtfully. He had started high and she questioned her own voice's ability to hit higher notes.

Edward's response was a look filled with almost fanatical fervor and words half-sung with that rough tone. "Sing, Bella. Sing for me."

And so she went up and then up again. The notes were flying out of her with less effort than she could possibly have imagined as she lost herself in the passion of the moment, of the music Edward was playing.

Then Bella could hear which note he was aiming for in her mind. She could see herself reaching it, despite the logical side of her that told her that she had never dreamed of hitting such a high note. But now, carried away by Edward's music, there was no way she could not.

Silencing the doubting voice once and for all, Edward sang again, "Sing my angel."

It was indescribable, hearing his voice, hearing his music, carried away by the beauty of her own voice. She hit the note with chilling, perfect tone. Tears filled her eyes again with the purity of that one note.

Then it was fading away, her voice and Edward's music. Both of them were breathing heavily and there were several moments of silence. Bella couldn't speak, she didn't want to break the spell of flawless music that had flown between and in both of them.

Edward was the first to say anything. "Don't you dare … don't you ever say that your voice is anything less than perfection." The force in his voice left no room for argument.

Bella found herself nodding, too stunned by his command and their song that had filled this cavern moments before to revert to her typical modesty.

After another minute of silence, as Bella's heart returned to its usual beat, Edward spoke again. "You shouldn't sing anything else tonight. I don't want to strain your voice before the opera tomorrow."

Bella almost cried out at this order, but held herself to only a pained exhale. She needed to sing! He couldn't put her to bed after that! "Edward," she said, almost panicked, "can't we please sing 'All I Ask of You' or … or anything?"

Edward smiled at her, but wouldn't risk it. "Not tonight. Let's stay on the safe side." Her face fell and Edward examined it, trying to think of something that wouldn't disappoint her.

When it occurred to him, he knew that it would be perfect, but all the usual objections rose in his head. But she had stayed in control during 'All I Ask of You,' hadn't she? She could handle this as well, just so long as she was prepared for it. As for him, well, he would make sure he stayed in line.

"Bella," he said, hesitantly, "if you want, I can sing you something I've been working on."

Bella's face rose from its frown immediately. "Yes! Please Edward."

He looked at her for a moment, and then nodded to himself. He fussed around for a moment, placing the music on the stand even though he knew this song by instinct. It was the embodiment of the side of him that had thrived down here, surviving on music and her for the past five years.

When his fingers hit the keys, Bella knew in an instant that this song was going to take some serious self-control on her part. That was her last logical thought because then he began to sing.

"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation  
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination,  
Silently the senses abandon their defenses."

Bella's insides had turned to liquid heat. She was melting, about to collapse with the sensuous essence of his song. There was unimaginable passion in every word he sang. He meant everything he said, was singing it directly at her.

His hands were still on the keys, but he turned to face her after the next set of lyrics. His golden eyes were cutting through to her soul again.

"Turn your face away from the garish light of day,  
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light  
And listen to the music of the night."

She was in a daze. Rational thought had completely abandoned her and was replaced with pure feeling. This was almost too much after singing for herself. Listening to this now, she was lost.

"Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world  
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before  
Let your soul take you where you long to be  
Only then can you belong to me."

Bella's knees buckled, but before she could hit the floor, Edward's arms were around her. The background music was cut off, but the music hadn't ended. He was still singing, enthralling her with everything around him. She was left helpless to do anything in the face of the overwhelming feelings filling her.

"Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in  
To the power of the music that I write  
The power of the music of the night."

She couldn't force her eyes to remain open, despite wanting to watch him, to see him. Although her feet remained on the floor, he was supporting all her weight. Then his voice dropped in volume and she had to open them again to see the emotion that filled his voice.

"You alone can make my song take flight  
Help me make the music of the night."

He was practically whispering, but the intensity of his words rang through her. His final note went on and on, and Bella nonsensically yearned for it never to end, for this magical moment to last forever.

When the note faded into silence, Bella and Edward were still staring at each other, so close together. "Bella," Edward said, his voice strained. "I want to try something. Try to hold still."

And then his lips were on hers. Bella froze for a moment, inundated with emotion. Then she was reacting, trying desperately not to attack him for fear that he would break the kiss, but still moving, kissing him back.

Her whole body felt over sensitized. She could feel every inch of his body where it touched hers, hard and cold. The ice of his lips was somehow starting a reaction in her that made her body burst into flames. She was in heaven for only a few, too short moments.

Edward pulled back, knowing that even though Bella may not realize it at the moment, she needed air. His thirst was burning, but he was in control. The joy that soared through him had no equal.

Bella moaned weakly, protesting his withdrawal. Edward smiled at his angel. "You need sleep Bella. It's getting late and you need to return early tomorrow." She grimaced and he could tell she was about to argue, but he spoke over her. "If you go lay down, I'll play something else." Her eyes lit up. "But no more singing for tonight." He finished, knowing that she would only be disappointed until she heard what he had for her.

Grumbling, she allowed him to carry her back to the curtained room with the bed. He laid her down and then brushed his lips against her forehead. "Bella, I love you."

Her eyes blazed into his. "I love you too Edward." She said. Even the knowledge of what he was, how dangerous it was for her to love him, couldn't dampen the rush that went through him at that moment.

It was torture to leave her and he only managed to do it by reminding himself that he was going to play her lullaby. Edward took one long moment after sitting at his organ to remember all that had just happened. Then he set his hands on the keys again and began to play.

Bella had thought it would be impossible to sleep, that she was too awake to even think of it. When he started to play the most achingly beautiful lullaby that she had ever heard, however, she was drifting off before the fifth measure. She dreamed of a swirl of music, passion, and Edward.

* * *

**A/N: **I know! It was forever in getting here, but wasn't it worth it? Tell me all about it in a review please!!! If you enjoyed this side of Edward at all, drop me a line!

In case any of you care, my trip was amazing. I got back on Sunday, but I've been sick and swamped with make-up work, so this sadly got pushed to the side for a few days. Don't expect such a long wait again, although I guess you never really know what will happen in this adventure we call life. Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!

**Next Time: **Bella makes a long-awaited return and we revisit a certain character ...


	13. Long Awaited Return

**Previously: **A long time ago, back in chapter 5, Jessica hired James to "get rid of" Bella. Last chapter, we left Bella and Edward after they had sung together and kissed, knowing that Bella was going to return to the Opera Populaire the next morning.

**Music Note: **There's a little bit of _Masquerade_ in there and then, if you can catch it, some of _Notes_. Not much for this chapter though.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 12**

**Long Awaited Return**

In general, James was not accustomed to challenges. He was used to getting what he wanted, whatever he wanted. He had spent his entire vampire life in Paris, taking exactly what he craved, blood, from its citizens every night. Nothing could stop him or dissuade him from a target

In search of something to take up his time that wasn't spent hunting, he sometimes sought to actually associate with his food. Victoria disdained of the entire venture, but he enjoyed it sometimes. He would pretend to be human long enough to be hired for human … jobs. The assassinations he was asked to carry out were not usually very complicated, but at least it was something to add variety to his days.

When Jessica had come to him it had been several weeks since his last job. For that reason, he was willing to follow through even though the target was a teenage girl of the lower classes. Hardly a challenge at all! At least, that was his thought when he first got the job.

There was a reason his name was famous for getting things done right on the darker side of Paris. He was an expert at using every extra sense to his advantage to destroy his prey, usually faster than they could comprehend what was happening to them.

That was how he had found himself in the Opera Populaire two days after Jessica's request, scoping out the scene. If he got the chance, he might even perform the hit now. That would be a disappointment though. James liked the chase most of all. He wasn't even getting any money for this, so he wanted it to be exciting. _Theatrical even_. He thought, smirking as he snuck into the room a ballet girl had indicated was Bella's.

It was empty. He frowned and glanced at a clock on the wall. It was very early; most humans wouldn't be up yet. He couldn't imagine that this random girl was any different. Especially since she had spent the night before up late celebrating her premier gala. In Jessica's place, no less. James smirked again. Despite long ago memories and her own beliefs, he had very few fond feelings for the human.

It was only for his amusement that she was still alive. She was entertaining for him sometimes. For instance, at this moment he was very grateful for her interference. He could smell Bella's blood in this room. It saturated every fabric and hung in the air.

He dragged in air again, savoring it. Mmm, but she smelled delicious. In general, James didn't drink from his targets. He left the bodies killed in a more mundane fashion for the rest of the world to find. Proof of his success, if you will. This one though … Jessica wouldn't need proof. All Jessica needed was for the girl to disappear and disappear she certainly would.

It was on another deep breath that he noticed a scent that he had missed because it had been covered by Bella's overpowering smell. _No, impossible that I would get such a treat …_ but it was unmistakable. Faint, but distinct, he could smell a distinctly familiar aroma. Vampire.

As he continued to investigate the Opera Populaire, unseen and unheard when he didn't want to be, he began to worry about his initial belief about how easy this job would be. Incredible as it had seemed, the tales that his nose told him didn't lie and they said that a vampire had come to Bella's room, been near her, but hadn't killed her.

James was fascinated, determined to discover the story behind that oddity. He had believed himself and Victoria to be the only vampires able to exist around humans without killing them.

However, over the next few hours, as he eavesdropped on the stories about Bella Swan's disappearance, that she had been gone since the night of her debut performance. In the opera the night before, Jessica had retaken her place as the star. Apparently, she had never been more over-the-top. James almost laughed cruelly when he heard that, typical that this worthless human who was acting so petty wouldn't even have a good enough singing voice to defend her diva position. If this gossip was accurate, it was no wonder she had turned to him.

But that wasn't what worried him. His thoughts were troubled by the idea that some other vampire, the one he had smelled in Bella's room, had merely taken her elsewhere to feed. With that sweet blood, James could understand not wanting to be interrupted.

It soured the fantasy James had built up though. The dream that this vampire would actually try to protect the defenseless Bella. Now that would be sport! He loved the images, but was disappointed by the reality. It had been almost 36 hours since anyone had seen Bella. Chances were that, by the strange vampire or some other means, she was dead by now.

Angry that his game had been ripped out from under his feet, James was lurking by the managers' office. Most of what he had learned about Bella's disappearance had been from these two idiots blabbering away with no sense of discretion.

It was with that same lack of secrecy that they approached their office in the late morning. They were walking with a woman that James didn't recognize from all his snooping around the opera house that morning. She was talking quickly. "I found her in her room just minutes ago and I left her there with my daughter. She needs rest, not an interrogation."

James jumped to his feet in the shadows. They couldn't possibly be talking about the girl that he hoped they were speaking of. He stared at the trio, watching one of the managers grumble, "Well, she's certainly led us on a merry chase. Why not let her skate away with her disappearance without answering a single question?"

The woman glared at the offending manager. "She seems distraught, Monsieur Call. If you are correct, she has been violently and forcefully abducted for the past couple of days. Surely you have a heart enough to allow the poor girl some rest!"

The other manager was placating as they reached the door to their office. "Of course she does, Madame Hale. We're just a bit stressed after the past few days. It's been a whirlwind, you understand."

They pushed open the door and James darted from one shadow to the next, faster than the human eye could see. Inside the office, his throat burned from exposure to four humans in so small a space, but he remained in control. A fourth human had been awaiting the managers' return in the office.

He stood up as soon as they came in. "Quin, Embré, you better have something for me that's more than these cryptic letters or I swear that I will have the entire Parisian police department tearing this place apart within the hour."

The first manager, the one Madame Hale had called Monsieur Call, answered with a smile. "We do, Vicomte. Very good news. Mademoiselle Swan returned only moments ago."

The Vicomte moved almost violently toward the door, but was stopped by the other three. Madame Hale was the one to speak. "Vicomte, I can not let you go to her just now. She has had a very traumatic few days, as I'm sure you can imagine. She needs time. She is with my daughter now."

James withdrew from the conversation, not needing to hear anymore. What all had he gotten himself into here? So the strange vampire brought her back, and unharmed, by all accounts. Fascinating. Jessica would be angry at his new decision, but he didn't mind. He was going to wait and watch. This kill could be the game that he had always dreamed of.

As he left the Opera Populaire, he was careful to seal every detail he had learned in his perfect memory. The thirst was getting to him, so he would wait for a week or so of intense feeding before he went any further with this investigation. In order to suck every last drop of enjoyment from this, he would need to be fully satisfied during every part of it. No pun intended, of course.

He almost laughed as he broke into a run once he hit the bad side of Paris. He would go visit his mate and then look forward to a night full of delicious blood. And ahead of him, ahead lay the chase of his lifetime.

- - -

When Bella woke for the second time in as many days in the beautiful bed in Edward's home, she sighed with happiness. She had half a mind to beg Edward to let her stay another day, but she knew that that would just lead into a cycle. There were things to do up above, after all. She needed to talk to Esme about all the things that had been kept secret, and she wanted to reassure Rose, who would surely be worried sick.

She stretched, and parted the curtains to go find Edward when she realized that the only music she could hear was that which was ringing in her mind from the night before. She was disappointed, but then remembered what had happened yesterday morning and thought that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea.

Thoughts of yesterday morning sparked off thoughts of the rest of yesterday, especially yesterday night. Her legs started to feel weak again with those memories, so she sat back down on her bed.

In the process, she managed to knock over a monkey music box that she had noticed the day before. It began to tinkle a pretty melody, but Bella could barely even hear it through her blush. If she had broken it, she would be mortified. That would be just like her.

As she righted it to its original place on her bedside table, cool hands touched hers, working to place it in its proper location as well. She looked up at Edward, the ever-present blush making itself known. "Sorry, Edward, I didn't mean to …"

He pulled her right hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. Her blush was showing no signs of ever letting up. It took her a moment to realize that he was whispering something into her palm and another to place that it was the same melody that the music box had played.

"Masquerade,  
Paper faces on parade,  
Masquerade,  
Hide your face  
So the world can never find you."

He smiled at her captivated expression and dropped her hand. "How are you this morning, Bella?"

Bella shook her head ever so slightly to remove herself from the daze Edward always put her in when he sang. "Good," she said, after a moment, "and you?"

He frowned down at something in his hand and he said, with honesty ringing through his tone, "I'm finding it harder than it should be to give you back to them."

Bella shivered. The sentiment was one that she fervently agreed with. She could imagine staying here, staying with Edward, potentially for eternity. Thoughts of their future began to swirl through her mind and some of the things that Alice had mentioned the day before occurred to her again. It all was going to require more thought.

"What's that?" She asked, changing the subject.

Edward stared at the envelope in his hands and wondered what exactly he had been thinking to bring it over to where she was. When Bella had awoken, he had been working on preparations for this night's show, _Il Muto_ again, by writing a letter to his managers with explicit instructions.

When he had heard the crash of the music box and the song beginning to play, he had completely forgotten about the letter in his hand and rushed to his love's side. Now he had to come up with an explanation. "Nothing." He said, trying to sound calm. "Are you ready to return? I'm sure that everyone up above must be missing you."

Bella was willing to drop the subject with just that, apparently, because she moved on swiftly. She shooed him out of her curtained area, telling him that she needed to get dressed if he was planning on returning her very soon.

He walked away and back to his 'Phantom' desk. There, he scanned over his letter again and wondered why he hadn't told her about this, about the truth of the Phantom. He had told her that he was a vampire! Why was this so much worse?

The answer was obvious. He had already known it, perhaps even when he brought her down here in the beginning. When Bella had first come to the opera house, Rose had scared her half to death with tales of the horrid, murderous Phantom of the Opera. Edward would never forget the time when he had come to her at their usual lesson time to find her sobbing with fright over the supposed fate of a homeless cat that had wandered into the opera house.

Rose had convinced her that the cat had gone into the Phantom's lair and the Phantom had killed it. Really, the poor animal had probably died of natural causes, but it hadn't mattered to the thirteen-year-old Bella. She had really believed all of the stories back then, the ones that attributed the untimely death of a stagehand at the time to him, the ones that described him as a disgusting ghoul.

She had slept with nightmares for months, coming crying to him whenever she got too afraid. Now that she was older, she didn't believe in the Phantom of the Opera anymore. What she did believe was that it was some awful prankster with a cruel sense of humor.

Edward couldn't bear to make her reconcile him with either image of the Phantom, the Opera Ghost. Why did she need to know? Surely he could get by without telling her. A part of him that sounded a lot like Alice told him that this was absolutely ridiculous, but the optimistic side of him didn't want to put any more strain on their relationship than he had to.

At that moment, Bella emerged, looking as beautiful as ever. "I'm ready," she said, grimacing. Edward smiled at her and put the dark thoughts of the Phantom aside for another time.

"Alright then. Come with me."

The trek back up to Bella's room was silent again. The mood was somber, both of them dreading the moment of their separation. As they reached the mirror entrance to her room, Edward knew he had to say good-bye. Edward cursed seconds that sped by so quickly, pulling her away from him.

"I will see you tonight Bella. I'll be watching the performance." She blushed again and Edward grinned. He rejoiced in his own control over the bloodlust and in the beauty that the flush enhanced in her face. Then he took a deep breath and almost couldn't hear what Bella said next.

"Edward, I don't even know that they'll put me in tonight's performance. I've been missing for two days and I don't have any explanation for where I've been." Another vampire, one he had never smelled before, had been in Bella's room. He barely restrained a growl. What the hell? It had been just this morning, in fact. He got himself under control enough to respond to Bella's statements.

"Don't worry about it Bella. It's taken care of." Bella would have wondered at this phrase, 'it's taken care of,' but Edward chose then to sweep over to her and kiss her more fiercely than he yet had.

It took all her strength to resist from attacking him as she enjoyed the edge to their kiss. It burned through every part of her body, leaving her hopeless to think of anything besides his lips. She felt stunned as he drew away as quickly as he had come in and wondered distantly if she would ever be able to kiss him without losing her senses.

"Good-bye, Bella." He said, fiercely.

"Edward," she said, an edge of desperation in her voice all of a sudden. His kiss had made her feel a sense of foreboding, "Edward, you're coming back, right? Tonight. Come back to me. I'll see you tonight, right?"

She stared at him anxiously, trying to beat down the nonsensical feelings that had risen up in her so suddenly. "Of course, Bella." He said, standing so close to her, but not touching her.

Bella had the irrational urge to pull him to her and never let go. But she couldn't do that. She had to be logical, wait for tonight.

"I'll see you soon then." She said, going against her unreasonable instincts. He smiled that perfect smile at her and kissed her hand.

"Be safe, love." He said, and then he was gone before she could blink. It was completely irrational, she kept telling herself, but that didn't stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

- - -

Jacob was a man of action. When a threat came near him or his loved ones, as few had since he led a charmed life in most ways, his first instinct was fight. When faced with the inexplicable disappearance of the girl he thought of as his childhood sweetheart, he found himself flummoxed.

There was no one to fight. There were no leads, no clues, just a girl who had vanished from her bed and four notes from a mysterious 'OG.' Madame Hale and her daughter had told him the legends of the Phantom of the Opera and Jacob was left not knowing what to think.

He did not believe in ghost stories. This mystery man was obviously just that, a man. However, that didn't mean that he hadn't taken Bella away. Jacob wanted to get out his sword with the mere thought.

His sleep the night before had been restless and uneasy. The opera that he had attended, _Il Muto_ or some such nonsense, had been ringing in his ears and his entire conversation with Bella chased itself around his head. She had spoken of a mystery teacher. Was it possible that her teacher and the man who abducted her claiming to be the Opera Ghost were the same person?

He had reached the Opera Populaire early in the morning, determined that he was going to bring the police down upon the place if they hadn't yet found Bella. He was also going to share his theory with Madame Hale and the managers.

But when he met Quin, Embré, and Madame Hale, they informed him that Bella had already returned. His joy was dampened almost immediately when Madame Hale informed him that he had to wait to see her again. Her points about trauma were certainly valid, but he wanted to see her, damn it! He had to know who had taken her and he had to bring justice to that man. Using his own sword, if necessary.

It was around this point in Jake's thoughts, that a note fluttered down to the ground, right in the center of the four of them. They all froze and stared up at the ceiling, but all they saw was plain wood.

"Where the hell?!" Embré seemed to be approaching a breaking point with weird occurrences.

Madame Hale picked it up and broke the seal. Jacob had his hand outstretched for a full minute as she read the letter to herself before he realized what he was doing and withdrew. "Madame," he demanded, coming close to his own breaking point, "Read the letter aloud!"

Jacob was proud that he had managed to get the words out without cursing once.

"Dear Gentlemen," she read. "Bella Swan has returned to you as promised and I am anxious her career should progress. In tonight's production of _Il Muto_ you will therefore cast Jessica as the pageboy and place Miss Swan in the role of countess. Bella's role calls for charm and appeal while Jessica's is silent, making my casting truly ideal. You will leave box five empty for me and I remind you once again that my salary has not been paid. You will not mention this letter or any other to Mademoiselle Swan. If my orders are not followed, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. As ever, your obedient servant, OG."

The three men stared at each other for a long, silent moment. Esme was still looking at the note, going over its meaning in her own head. Jacob was the first to speak, filled with the fury of a full day of frustrations. "No. It goes on no longer. We will not pander to this insane man's demands."

Quin and Embré, who had been teetering on the brink of doing just that, were bolstered by Jacob's determination. They nodded, emphatically. "No, we won't." Embré insisted, showing no hint that he had been considering just such a thing seconds before.

Jacob continued, "We will cast Jessica as the countess, and Bella as the pageboy." He turned to Esme, "If she's up for it, of course." He said, solicitously. Esme didn't respond, so Jacob went on. "I will sit in box five, as I have for the past two nights. His salary will not be paid, and we will go right now to question Mademoiselle Swan about all of this."

Esme looked up from the letter for the first time. "Do whatever you think wise about the rest of it, but you will not speak to Bella about any of this." Esme sounded exhausted, but forceful. All the men drew back at her tone. "Have you not been listening to me when I say that she has gone through a great ordeal? She hears none of this." She glared at each one of them, eliciting a meek nod even from Jacob.

She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. "Bella will be ready to sing whatever part you would cast her in tonight. I'm sure that would help her recovery. However, you will not tell her why you placed her in that role." She renewed the fierce glares.

There was a beat of silence and then Esme went on. "Before you deny the Phantom too much, though, I would warn you. Remember that he was the one who snatched Bella away beneath our very eyes. I know you will not listen to reason, or I would argue against this foolishness." She closed her eyes briefly, "I would just ask that you please consider who the Phantom is. Be cautious when it comes to him."

She looked down at the letter and read from it. "If my orders are not followed, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur." Her gaze met each of theirs again. "I would not doubt him, messieurs."

With that, Esme pushed the letter into the Vicomte's hands and swept out of the room, hurrying back to Bella's room. She didn't want to look at it anymore, she wanted to talk to her surrogate daughter.

Esme had recognized the look in Bella's eyes when she had first come into the room. It was one of intense curiosity. Edward must have told Bella that Esme knew something about the whole affair. But Esme had questions of her own that needed to be answered before they got to that. She wanted to know what had happened below the theaters. Bella would have to lie to everyone else, but Esme would demand the truth of the matter. She was just too worried about them both not to know.

That worry had been magnified many times by Edward's letter. "You will not mention this letter or any other to Mademoiselle Swan." That was what Edward had said and Esme was concerned about the meaning of such a statement. It meant that Edward hadn't told Bella that he was the Opera Ghost, the Phantom.

Esme feared their unspoken secrets from one another. She couldn't help morbidly wondering which secret be the one to destroy their fragile relationship. _Oh Edward. Oh Bella._

_

* * *

_**A/N:** I know, I know! I'm a horrible person for making you wait so long. All I can say is that the SATs took over my life for a while there and after last Saturday, I am officially done with that. Thank god. I can promise, though, that the long waits are over. I'm back to being dedicated to this again.

Quick note about the story. First, no, I haven't forgotten about James. I really do know what I'm doing, trust me. ;-) Second, Edward and his weird issues about telling Bella about the Phantom of the Opera stuff. The way I explain it to myself is that Edward wants to do as little to drive her away as he possibly can. He's already told her that he's a vampire! Why load on more? He honestly thinks he can get away with not telling her. Also, it's a key plot point coming up soon. Third, I think _Masquerade _is a kind of a weird song to throw into this chapter, but she has to hear it for the prologue to make sense, so here you go. ;-)

Thank you so much to those who reviewed and to all of you reading this who haven't given up on me after such a long break. Please, if you're enjoying this or if you have any comments, hit that little button and review! Even a word or two makes my day. And to those who have given me long discussions about their love for Phantom, you know I love your obsession! Thanks again and I promise that the next chapter will be out by Sunday.

**Next Time:** Bella and Esme talk, Bella gets her story straight, and _Il Muto_ is ... interrupted.


	14. The Phantom of the Opera

**Previously:** James is back. Jacob and the managers got a note from the Phantom telling them to put Bella in the lead for tonight's show, so they decide to defy him and not follow any of his orders. Bella and Edward parted. Edward still hasn't told Bella about the whole Phantom of the Opera thing.

**Music Note:** On the extended soundtracks (which, if you're obsessed like me, I highly recommend) the end of this chapter is the beginning of _Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh_

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 13**

**The Phantom of the Opera**

When Edward left Bella's room, she was left at a loss for what to do next. It seemed almost rude to just go out and find someone when she was sure that they had been searching desperately for a day. Still …

Just as she was about to get up to go find someone, the door slammed open to reveal Esme. "Oh, Bella!" Esme exclaimed. She looked worn with emotion and she hurried to Bella's side to hug her. "I'm so glad you're back. He told me you were here."

They shared an intense look. "So it's true." Bella accused. "You did know."

Esme's eyes darted around the room as though looking for spies. "Yes, I know. But now isn't –"

Bella wasn't paying attention. "And Carlisle! Carlisle is … is …" her voice drew to a whisper, "They're vampires."

Esme hesitated for an instant and then nodded. Bella continued, loud again, "I have so many questions that I didn't get a chance to ask! And you and Carlisle …"

Esme took advantage of Bella's moment of silence to say, "I'll answer any questions that I can, Bella, but not right this moment. Everyone needs to know that you're back. You and Edward have caused quite an uproar."

Bella hearing her mother-figure say Edward's name was enough to shock her into silence. This really had been a deception that had gone on for years. She wondered if she ought to be angry at that, but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad at Esme.

"I'm going to find Rose and send her here. You should lie down." Esme said, when Bella didn't respond to her first comment.

Bella started at Esme's statement. "Rose!" She looked up at Esme, "What can I tell her?"

"Well, you already told her about your teacher, did you not?"

Bella nodded, hoping that it wasn't a bad thing. Esme continued, "Tell her what you will then, but bare in mind that she probably won't believe you if you tell her the truth. And you can't tell her about vampires. Humans aren't supposed to know."

Bella nodded again. She hadn't been planning on telling Rose about what Edward was anyway. Just knowing that her mysterious teacher had abducted her would be enough to make Rose want to send her to an insane asylum.

Esme gave her a last glance and then turned to the door. "I'm going to tell the managers and Rose, then. I'll be back as soon as I can be."

As she left, Bella frowned at something that was clutched in Esme's hand. It was a white envelope that looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't place where she had seen it before. She sat down on her bed, trying to make the connection, but it escaped her.

Deciding that it was a lost cause, she turned her thoughts to other things. Edward's music was ringing in her head, but Edward had given her explicit instructions not to sing, in case she was to sing tonight.

Edward had been certain that she would be singing in _Il Muto_, but Bella was more realistic. She was a good singer, she could admit that after the night before, but that wouldn't mean much to the managers, who weren't artists. To them, she was just a teenaged girl who had run away with no explanation. She wouldn't be surprised if they kicked her out.

She felt a flash of nerves at that thought, but she assuaged them with the thought that she could always go back to Edward if that happened. If they wouldn't let her sing here, there would be no reason to ever leave Edward's world of music below the opera house.

She smiled to herself and lay back on her bed. Forever with Edward. She could barely wrap her mind around the concept, but if Alice's whispers were anything to go by, she should think about it. Forever. She couldn't think about it now.

She glanced around her room to distract herself, but it was the same as ever except that the piles of flowers were gone. She was relieved since they had been exceedingly embarrassing. The vanishing of the flowers gave her a moment of worry though. Her eyes darted over to her desk and she was relieved to see that Edward's rose had been placed in a small vase of water. Probably Esme, no one else would understand the significance of that particular flower.

Then the door slammed open, interrupting her thoughts. Bella jumped up, hoping that the door hadn't collapsed from the strain. Behind the door stood Emmett, grinning broadly. He rushed up to Bella and hugged her with far too much force. "Emmett!" She struggled to get out through the lack of air in her lungs.

When he released her, she found that his huge body had been hiding her best friend. "Rose!" She cried. Rose pushed Emmett to the side and hugged Bella.

While still hugging, Rose whispered, "Oh god, Bella, we were so scared."

They released each other and Bella backed up a step, glancing from Rose to Emmett. "The two of you were scared together?" She asked, smirking ever so slightly.

Rose glared at the typical innuendo, but then burst into a smile and hugged Bella again. "Seriously Bella! We had no idea what had happened! It was so frightening. I didn't know if I would ever see you again."

Her voice had gone soft and earnest, so Bella dropped all thought of teasing. "I'm sorry Rose." For the first time, Bella was glad that she had left Edward's home earlier than she would have liked.

"What happened?" Emmett demanded, seeing that Rose was too overcome to ask any of the questions herself. Seemingly without thought for his actions, he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Bella gave the gesture a pointed glance, but neither of her friends paid attention to it. Finally she gave up and sighed a tiny breath. "It's a long story. Rose, do you remember –"

But she was cut off, fortunately, before she could begin to come up with a partially true story to tell. The door opened, more calmly this time, to reveal Esme. She was no longer holding the envelope that had evoked such familiarity in Bella. She spared Rosalie and Emmett's embrace only a cursory glance that had Bella wondering what exactly had happened while she had been gone.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Esme asked, as though it had been longer than a half hour or so since she had last seen her.

"Fine," Bella said. It was the absolute truth. Being with Edward made her feel alive and the feeling had yet to wear off. There was something about him, something about them together that made her blood sing in her veins.

Rose turned to her mother and said, "Bella was about to tell us where she's been, what happened to her."

Esme frowned and gave Bella a look that said, 'go with me.' "I'm not sure that Bella is completely coherent about all of that. If you ask me, I think she may have bumped her head while exploring the basements of the theaters."

Bella looked the woman she thought of as a mother and then at her two best friends. They wouldn't believe the truth, Bella knew that, but still. Lying felt like such a betrayal.

"That's right." She said, after a beat of silence. "I couldn't fall asleep the night after the premier, so I decided to go exploring. It was very early morning. I guess I fell down, because the next thing I remember is waking up this morning and coming back to my room where Esme found me. I didn't even know it had been a whole day."

Emmett looked scandalized that she had been lying somewhere in the theater injured this whole time, but Rose gave her a searching look for a moment. Bella tried to look honest. She had always been a bad liar. Luckily, Rose gave up her scrutiny after a moment.

"Bella, if you've been unconscious for a whole day, you need to be examined by a doctor! And you've got to be starving. Emmett and I will go get you something to eat and drink." Bella hadn't actually had breakfast since Edward's food stock had run out the day before. He didn't really understand how much food a human ate.

Esme nodded to Rose's outburst. "Of course. I'll go see if Carlisle can come here for a visit, Bella." Their eyes met again and Bella realized that Esme had been counting on Carlisle to verify the story.

All three of them left after hugging her repeatedly. When Rose hugged her again, Bella whispered, "What is going on with you and Emmett? I want the details later." When Rosalie, the infamous flirt, reacted only with a blush, Bella knew that something was definitely up.

Bella was about to lay back on her bed again, contemplating picking up a book to get her mind away from singing, when there was a knock on her door. She got up, curious. If it had been Esme, Rose, or Emmett, they would have just come in as they had before.

When she opened it, she experienced an odd feeling of déjà vu. "Jake!" She exclaimed.

Jacob looked relieved to see her standing there and pulled her into an embrace. "Bella," he sighed into her ear. "I've been going insane. We were all so worried." He pulled back, a strange look in his eyes this time. "What happened?"

Bella repeated the story that she had told Rose and Emmett. "I couldn't sleep, so I went down to the basements and I guess I tripped and fell. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up this morning still down there and I walked back to my room."

Jake still had the look in his eyes. As Bella looked more closely, it seemed to be partially fear for her and partially doubt. Well, at least some part of him believed her story. "Esme went to get a doctor." She continued.

That had been a good idea on Esme's part. Jacob relaxed just a bit at the mention of someone with authority to diagnose the situation. Then Jake was back in action again. "If you hit your head, Bella, you shouldn't be standing! Sit down, here." He pressed her down on her bed and then pulled over a chair so that he could sit opposite her.

He just examined her for a moment, as if wanting to continue interrogating her about her absence. He resisted the urge though and instead changed the subject. "You missed last night's premier of _Il Muto._ Jessica had to play the lead again. Quin and Embré had quite a job convincing her to come back, but they managed it."

Bella was interested in this story, so she nodded her head to encourage him to continue. "It wasn't nearly as good as your premier, but aside from Jessica it was alright. Jessica was awful. Completely over dramatic. But you don't want to hear about that! You need rest. Where is Esme with that doctor?"

It took another half hour before Esme returned with Carlisle in tow. By that time, Rose and Emmett had come back. Bella wished that Emmett and Jake would leave so that she could talk to Rose alone, but it wasn't to be. As it was, it wasn't nearly as awkward as she might have expected. Personable, humorous Emmett was up to carrying on a conversation with anyone.

Bella was still relieved when Carlisle entered the room though. That relief carried her for about 10 seconds before she remembered that he knew the whole story about the past day and that Edward was his son. She flushed from self-consciousness. What was he expecting from her, knowing what she was to Edward?

It was silly, she had known Carlisle for nearly a year, but everything seemed different now. They shared a long glance before Bella looked away at Esme. In that look she had noticed that his eyes were exactly the same as Edward's.

Carlisle's examination routine was very convincing. His concerned tone as she told her lie for the third time and he felt her head almost made her worried that she _was_ injured and hadn't noticed it. That was until he started talking to their audience and winked at her when no one else was looking.

The wink was so unexpected that Bella wanted to burst out laughing. The handsome, vampire father of the love of her life had just winked at her. What crazy world had she been transported to in the past few moments?

"Well, she definitely hit her head hard about a day ago. I can imagine that she might have slipped off into a faint. The swelling looks like its dying down perfectly, though, and she should be good as new before we know it. I bet it feels like you never even fell, doesn't it Bella?"

Bella was half expecting another wink. "No, Dr. Cullen. I feel fine."

Jacob, surprisingly to Bella, was the first to speak. "What do you think of her performing in the opera tonight?"

Carlisle appraised Jacob and then looked back over at Bella. "If she feels up to it, I see no reason to stop her."

Even the formerly skeptical Rose looked reassured by Carlisle's calm, professional manner.

"Now I've really got to get back. It was nice to see you again Rose, Bella." He gave her another piercing, understanding glance and then walked out. Esme followed behind him. Rose averted her eyes from the door. However much she might like Dr. Cullen, she was never going to be comfortable with any of her mother's romances.

Jake was the first to break the silence after Esme and Carlisle left. "Bella, I think Quin and Embré were eventually going to come down here to tell you this, but they want you to play the pageboy in tonight's opera. Do you think you'll be up to it?"

Inside her mind, Bella was torn between happiness at being granted the role after everything that had happened and confusion at how wrong Edward had been. The pageboy in _Il Muto_ was a silent role. She hadn't needed to save her voice at all! She attempted to silence part that was irritated at losing out on singing with Edward without any reason.

Rose sighed with relief, loudly. "Say you will, Bella! I had to play it yesterday and I absolutely abhor that role. No dancing and plenty of listening to Jessica squawk at you."

Bella laughed. "Since you make it sound so appealing, Rose." She teased, but then turned to Jake and said, "Of course I'm up to it. I feel fine." She felt a bit repetitive, but no one seemed to believe her when she said it, so repetition was necessary.

"Good!" Jake said, pleased. "Rehearsals begin in just an hour, so you should get down there. You know the part already, right? There are only seven hours until the show begins."

Bella nodded and Jake stood up. "I had better go then. See what Quin and Embré are up to. I'll see you soon Bella." Jake picked up her hand and kissed it. She remembered Edward performing the same gesture, but his cold lips had sent shockwaves of heat down her body. Jake's warm lips just felt like a comfort. Not bad, but not electric.

"Rosalie, Emmett." He nodded to the two and left the room, leaving Bella wondering about him. That kiss … Jake's feelings only made a complicated situation more tangled. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but there were so many things out of her control. So much for an easy 'Happily Ever After' once you meet your prince.

- - -

Six hours later, Bella was beginning to believe that she had spent all of yesterday unconscious from tripping. Her head was certainly pounding like she had. Or perhaps it was just Jessica's voice. Jessica began singing the same part over again and Bella winced. Yes, that was it.

Jessica had reached never-before-imagined heights of exaggeration in her vocal styling. Their conductor, Monsieur Claireau, was about to have a fit. "Jessica! Once again! _Without_ the trills, _please._"

Jessica grumbled, but repeated the phrase again, as he had demanded. Bella sighed. At least that time had felt more like someone punching her head than a rock hitting it as the time before had felt like.

Bella wondered, trying to distract herself, if her time down with Edward had somehow enhanced her musical sense. Jessica was genuinely worse than before, but she had never felt such pain at bad music before. Perhaps that was the trade off. By experiencing music at such heights of joy in Edward's arms, she was more tortured by things that made a mockery of what music could be.

She could have continued thinking in this train for a while, but she was ripped back to the present by Rose's elbow hitting her ribs. "It's your part Bella!" She hissed. Bella looked around to find that her friend was right. She blushed and started acting out her silent role.

Then Jessica started singing again and Monsieur Claireau groaned. "It's hopeless." He muttered to himself. To the cast he said, "I think that's as good as we are going to get. Go get into your costumes, we have an hour until the performance begins. Jessica, a word."

Sitting with Rose, doing each other's hair and make-up, Bella felt like it was old times again. They laughed uproariously at what Monsieur Claireau was surely saying to Jessica and how little it would help, as they all well knew. There was nothing that would stop Jessica when she was determined to be overdramatic.

The hour flew by and soon they were both out on stage, preparing for the curtain to rise. This was a different feeling for Bella than the ecstasies of music that she had reached with Edward the night before. It was less intense, to be sure, but also utterly different. That had been personal, intimate. This was performance, playing to the audience. There was a different sort of rush to it.

As Bella performed her part flawlessly, she wondered about her future with Edward again. She pushed aside the lurking sense of foreboding that still filled her when she thought about things like that, the sense that had sprung on her that morning when Edward had left. If she could follow through on Alice's hints, if she became a vampire and had forever with Edward … a shiver of delight ran through her at the thought. It was a dream.

But would she lose this for that? Would she be able to perform on stage as a vampire? Probably not, or else Edward would be doing it. He was certainly good enough.

_It doesn't matter_, Bella thought, _Being with him would be worth it._

Her thoughts didn't match the opera at all, but it was a thoughtless piece, so it didn't matter much. It was a comedy about a countess, Jessica, who was cheating on her husband with a pageboy. In order to sneak around the husband, the pageboy, Bella, had dressed as a maid and come to the countess's room.

This led to the silence on the pageboy's part, a man's voice would ruin the pretense. It wasn't that comedic operas were bad in general, but Bella just wasn't in the mood to play Jessica's lover today. Come to think of it, that wasn't exactly a part she would ever want to play.

She wondered if Edward was somewhere watching her. He hadn't told her explicitly about any secret passages besides those in the basements, but she guessed that he probably knew many. That made her wish that she was singing. She wanted to sing for him and here she was in this ridiculous, silent part. She was beginning to hate this stupid opera with a passion.

Bella glanced at the audience during one of Jessica's singing parts and found Jacob in box five. It was clear that the whole Phantom of the Opera legend was just that, a myth. They had always left that box empty when William Black had been manager of the Opera Populaire, but now it was filled three nights in a row and what retaliation had been visited on them? Why, as far as Bella knew there hadn't even been any more notes after that first one when the managers first came.

She almost laughed, remembering her fear when she was a child. She tried not to think about the still unsolved deaths, the other mysteries attributed to him. Silly, it all really was.

She was about to discover how wrong she was.

- - -

For the whole day, Quin and Embré had been nervous. They had stayed together, jumping at shadows and running away from the creaking floor. Words kept running through their minds. "A disaster beyond your imagination."

They had both tried to emulate Jake, who had been utterly unperturbed at their failure to follow instructions, but had mainly failed.

As the show drew nearer, their symptoms of pure fear grew worse. As the curtain rose and the first scene began, the two managers were on the verge of hiding their eyes and holding on to one another.

Nothing happened. The second scene also went by without a single incident. By this time, the managers were cracking smiles. How silly they had been. Jacob was right all along to force them to disobey the Opera Ghost. They didn't take orders! This was their opera house, by god!

Their only regret was that they wished that the Opera Ghost hadn't asked for Bella to sing the lead role. If he hadn't, they could have cast her their without worrying about making a point. Jessica was truly sounding atrocious today.

Still, with no incidents from _him_ as they started the third scene, Quin and Embré were too happy to criticize with any severity.

They celebrated too soon.

- - -

"I've heard this youth has set my lady's heart aflame."

"His lordship sure would die of shock,  
His lordship is a laughingstock"

"Should he suspect her, god protect her  
Shame, shame, shame."

Bella felt like an idiot, flouncing around the stage pretending to be a pageboy pretending to be a maid. Usually she was able to lose herself in a part, no matter how ludicrous, but this time she was finding it impossible. She kept remembering scenes from the night before just as she was about to slip into character.

She watched Jessica and Michael act out the main scene. Discomfort was filling her, for some reason. The foreboding was back with a vengeance and it was making her want to go running back to Edward, to pull him to her and never let go.

In a few moments, she wished that she had given into the urge and run off stage while she had the chance.

A voice boomed through the opera house.

"Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty!"

Bella froze.

Her feet were locked to the floor and her thoughts had become instantly incoherent. The shock was too much. From a distant part of her mind she registered Rose's voice from backstage. "It's him! The Phantom of the Opera!"

"It's him." Bella breathed, barely aware she was speaking aloud.

Jessica snapped at her, "Your part is silent, little toad!" but she couldn't hear it. Bella was too busy trying to stop the ringing in her ears and understand what was happening. Edward, her Edward, was also the man who had terrorized, destroyed, and murdered for the past five years. Oh, god.

He was talking again, his perfect voice booming around the Opera Populaire in a mockery of the way it had sounded while singing to her the night before. "A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad."

Edward Cullen, her angel of music, was also the Phantom of the Opera.

* * *

**A/N: **Uh-oh! And the plot thickens! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and look, here I am posting on time for once! As always, any comments are appreciated. I'm very grateful to all my readers for pulling themselves away from their DVD players and sparkly new Twilight DVDs long enough to read this. I know that I found it difficult. ;-) On a completely unrelated note, I just wanted to warn you all ... you're not going to like this next chapter. It will be up ... whenever I get time enough to post this week. Before Friday. Thanks for reading!

**Next Time: **Bella copes with her realization ... in ways that will probably be disliked by readers. ;-)


	15. End Act One

**Previously:** Bella came back from below the opera house with Edward. She was playing the silent role in an opera against Edward's orders when Edward started to speak in the middle of the opera. Bella now knows that he is the Phantom of the Opera.

**Music Note: **Extended edition people have tons. The end of _Poor Fool He Makes Me Laugh_, then _Why Have You Brought Me Here?_, then _All I Ask of You_ and the reprise. For normal edition people, _All I Ask of You _and the reprise. I would especially recommend that reprise because it breaks my heart every time. :-(

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 14**

**End Act One**

Bella felt as if she would never be able to move again. Edward, her Edward, her angel of music, was also the Phantom of the Opera, the Opera Ghost, the man who had murdered Joseph Buquet four years ago.

She was so stupid! She should have seen, should have known! How many mysterious men could possibly be living in the Opera Populaire, after all? She had never even considered it before. In her mind, there was no ghostly Phantom, only someone who worked at the Opera House who was doing horrible things and playing tricks. Well, she had been right.

She was literally yanked back to the present by Jessica. The star was fuming, ignoring all the continued screams that filled the cast and audience. She pulled Bella to the front of the stage and began to sing again.

"Serafimo, away with this pretense!  
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my –"

It took Bella, in her shocked state, a moment or two to realize what exactly had just happened. Instead of singing the last words, Jessica let out a very loud croak. She had silenced the audience when she began to sing, but now they broke out into noise again. They whispered to one another and laughed as Jessica turned bright red.

Bella felt far away from it all, still putting things together in her mind. She couldn't tell if Jessica was angry, embarrassed, or worried, but she had realized why the letter Esme had been holding earlier was familiar. It was the same letter that Edward had been holding when they had been back in his home.

Back in his home. The memory of his songs, his arms, his kiss, made her feel nauseous. How could her Edward be … why hadn't he told her? Why all the lies, all the secrecy?

Jessica pulled her over to the bed prop to continue with the next scene. Bella wondered if she thought that her croak had been a one-shot deal. Bella knew it wouldn't be. Everything she knew about Edward and about the Phantom said that he wouldn't stop until his demands were followed.

Had the Edward that she had met and fallen in love with in the past two days been a lie? It hardly seemed possible. It was inconceivable that what they had experienced wasn't the absolute truth. But other things kept cutting into those happy memories now. Other memories, of legends, rumors, and her own experiences.

Meanwhile, Jessica was attempting to sing and failing miserably.

"Poor fool he makes me laugh,  
Ha ha ha ha ha.  
Ha ha –"

Then she broke into a series of gasping croaks that had the audience in hysterics and the cast in an uproar. Bella watched Quin and Embré run down from their box and onto the stage. Quin made a violent gesture back stage and Bella turned to see Emmett running over to the ropes that controlled the curtains. In a matter of moments, they were behind the curtain.

Bella stood up from the bed, unsure of what to do. Everyone else was racing around, talking wildly. They looked as if they knew what they were doing. Bella had no idea what she was doing.

From in front of the curtain, they could hear Quin speaking to the audience. "I'm so sorry, everyone. There has been a problem. The opera will begin again in just a short while and this time, Isabella Swan will be playing the countess."

Bella wasn't sure who did it, but someone propelled her through the curtains. She stood there, staring up into the lights and out at all the people who were cheering for her. Edward was watching from somewhere, she was sure of it. The scene reminded her of her premier two nights earlier. Then, it had been one of the best experiences of her life. Now, she felt as if she were going to be sick.

She was pulled away, back behind the curtain. "Until then," Quin continued, "Please enjoy the ballet scene from Act Three of tonight's opera."

Scattered applause and much talk filled the opera house. Bella turned around to see who was still holding onto her arm. It was Rosalie. "Bella, are you alright?" She sounded very worried. "Is your head hurting you? You look so pale!"

The other ballet girls were already in place and calling Rose over to join them. "Oh, God!" She said, sounding torn, "One minute!" She called back.

Another hand grabbed her other arm. Bella followed the arm up, expecting to see Emmett, but it wasn't him. Jacob, the Vicomte de La Pushe, was holding onto her firmly. "I've got her, Rosalie." He said, waving his free hand to tell her to go to the stage.

Rose gave her one last, piercing look and then she rushed onto the stage. The curtain began rising the minute she was in place.

The audience couldn't see Bella and Jacob, but the two could see the stage clearly. Bella watched Rose dance, the lead ballerina in this scene. She looked gorgeous. Bella felt a hot flash of envy that barely even made sense. Right now, she wished that she could just be just another dancer, not whatever she had become because of Edward.

Oh, god. That note that was in Esme and Edward's hands. Edward's certainty that she would be singing tonight. The manager's instantaneous decision to make her the lead after Edward's stunt with the croaking. A detached part of her mind wondered how he had done that before Jacob tugged on her arm, pulling her back to reality.

"Bella," he said, as though he was repeating himself. She made a soft sound to indicate that she was paying attention now. "You have to get to your dressing room. You have to get into the countess costume."

She stared at him, not completely comprehending his words. "I can't go sing, Jake."

Her voice was so hollow that it almost surprised her. "Bella, look," Jacob sounded pained and he was still keeping pressure on her arm. That same, distant part of her noticed that his grip was warm, hot even. It was grounding her to reality, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but – "

He was cut off by a hissing of rope and screams from the stage and audience. Bella and Jake both whirled around to see what had happened on stage. When she saw, Bella wished she hadn't turned. A body was dangling from a noose in the center of the stage.

For one, horrible moment, Bella was convinced that it was Emmett. She would have screamed, but all the noise seemed trapped in her chest. She was incapable of any reaction besides gasping for breath.

"Bella! Bella breathe! Come on sweetheart, stay with me. Deep breaths."

Without registering it, Bella had collapsed into Jake's arms still staring at the costume mannequin that had looked so much like Emmett for that second. Jake was talking to her swiftly, obviously on the edge of panic himself.

Over the screams of the crowd, who obviously had yet to realize that the body wasn't real, Edward's voice boomed again. "A warning, to those who have yet to believe."

Then the dummy dropped to the floor with a crash and the Opera Populaire was in an uproar.

In a daze, Bella stood up. She couldn't be here anymore. Jacob still had a grip on her arm, so she pulled him along with her. "Where are we going?" He asked, sounding concerned for her sanity.

She didn't answer, just kept pulling up and up to a place she hadn't been in months. Up one staircase, down a corridor, up another. She knew this opera house like the back of her hand. She had thought that she knew him as well. Obviously not.

"Bella!" Jake yanked his hand away from her after five minutes of silent escape. They could barely hear the pandemonium on the stage and in the audience anymore. Vaguely, Bella wondered when she had grabbed Jake's hand. "Bella, where are you going?" His voice was soft, but warm.

His voice was always so husky. He would never make a very good singer. Right now, that comforted her. "I can't go back there."

"Okay, Bella," he said soothingly, bringing them to a halt on a staircase, "Just tell me where we _are_ going."

Bella looked back up the staircase. They were almost there. "Jake, you don't have to come." Her voice was still breathy, full of fear. What Bella couldn't decide was what exactly she was afraid of.

Jacob stared at her for a long moment, then sighed. "I don't understand, but lead on."

She continued up, not taking his hand again until Jake reached out to grasp hers. She let him.

After they reached the top of the spiraling staircase, Bella walked over to a door and pushed it open. She thanked god that it was open, it was supposed to be locked. Out they stepped onto a tier of the roof. Gargoyles and statues hulked all around, but the view of the sky was flawless.

The cold hit them like a physical force, but Bella didn't mind. Her costume wasn't thick, but the cold reminded her that she was still alive, that this was all real. She glanced around at the snowdrifts and supposed that they were lucky it wasn't snowing. A rare thing for Paris in late November.

There was a moment of silence. Bella was staring at the clear sky full of stars. _A new moon,_ she thought, in that detached part of her mind. She assumed that Jake was taking in their surroundings.

"Bella," he finally began, hesitantly, "Why are we here? We have to go back."

"He'll find us there. I needed to get away." The distant part of her had taken over her voice. The cold had numbed her mind as well as her body. She was grateful for it. She wasn't sure how much more stress that she could take.

"Who is he, Bella?" She wondered if she should be offended that he was talking to her like she was a child, but she realized that she was probably acting fairly childish. She couldn't change anything. "Bella, are you listening to me? Who is this _he_?"

She turned away from the sky to face him. "He's the Phantom of the Opera." Her voice was faint. The emotions were coming back every moment she spent looking at his eyes. They were deep brown, like hers, nothing like the mystical gold of Edward's.

"There is no Phantom of the Opera. It's a fable." He said. The words were hollow and ridiculous to Bella, so she didn't even acknowledge them.

"He has killed." The words rang through the cold air, absolute and unarguable. "He could kill again." She would never forget Joseph Buquet, couldn't, not with the brand new image of the dummy hanging over the stage juxtaposed over the old memories.

"Bella, trust me, there is no Phantom of the Opera!" He sounded scared, not sure of his own words. It didn't matter if he believed himself or not. She knew the truth now. The only problem was that she wasn't sure she could accept all of it. The weight of the truth was crushing her.

"Then who was it that spoke during opera? Who made Jessica croak? Who dropped that mannequin?" There was fire in her voice again, reassuring after the ice and numbness that was filling it only moments ago.

Silence filled the roof. The roof was so calm. It was incongruous with what she was feeling, which was anything but calm.

"Who is this man?" Jacob's voice was quiet again. "You know that he isn't a phantom or a ghost as he claims. That isn't possible."

She didn't answer for a long moment. She stared at Jacob. He was so handsome, so warm, and so safe. _I wish I could love him._ She thought.

"After my premier," she began. The words fell from her lips easily, just like it had been easy to tell him about her angel of music. "I didn't hit my head."

Bella turned back to look at the stars again. She couldn't handle seeing Jacob's eyes as she said this; she just needed to confess it. Part of it, at least. "Do you remember my Father's angel of music?"

"Yes," Jake said, when it was clear she wanted a response. "You brought this up the last time we talked, Bella. I don't understand what it has to do with …"

She interrupted him. "You know about my teacher as well, right? That I don't know his name?" This time, she didn't wait for him to reply. "The reason that I don't know his name is that ever since I came to the Opera Populaire five years ago, I have been taught by the person I thought was my angel of music."

"Bella," he breathed, but she wouldn't let him break into her story.

"The other night, he came to me in person. For a while, I had thought he might be a real person, but I hadn't confronted him about it. He brought me down to his home. That's where I was for the past two days." She spoke in short, broken sentences, forcing herself to get it out. She had to say it, to tell someone.

"Bella!" There was horror in his voice now. She could hear his footsteps and knew that he was coming closer to her, so it wasn't a surprise when she felt his hand on her shoulder. He was so warm, that she almost turned to him and hid her face in his chest. She couldn't face up to this reality right now.

She couldn't let herself falter now, though. "He made me come back this morning. I wanted to stay, but he told me I had to sing today. And then in the opera … the voice … it was him." Her voice broke, but she ignored it, feeling weak. "He's the Phantom of the Opera."

Jacob put his other hand on her other shoulder and pulled her around so that she was looking at him. "Why did you want to stay?"

A lone tear dripped from her eye. It took all of Bella's strength not to collapse onto the ground. As it was, Jacob was supporting most of her weight. "His music. God, just _him_. He sings to me and I can't think of anything but his voice. He's practically inside my mind, Jake."

"Bella …" he faltered, but she was lost to her memories. So close to him, she couldn't see his eyes anymore, could only feel his warmth.

"In that place, there was such music, Jake." She said, sounding so far away, "And him! He _is_ my angel of music in so many ways. When we sang, it was like I was flying, free and yet, so entranced."

"What if it was just a dream, Bella?" He asked. Jake was on the verge of pulling away from her. She was frightening him with her dramatic emotions and the tone of adoration that she used when talking of this man, this angel of music, this monster.

It was obvious that she hadn't registered what he said. "And Edward … he's so much more than I ever imagined, more than I could ever have dreamed. So beautiful, so perfect, and so lonely." Her voice faded away.

Jacob had never been more scared in his life. Not for himself, not at all, but for the girl who was practically in his arms. She had not even noticed that she had given this man of titles a name. _Edward._ He had never felt such hatred before.

He knew the story of Joseph Buquet. After the first notes, the morning that Bella disappeared, he had learned all he could about this Opera Ghost or Phantom of the Opera. One of the main stories was that of Monsieur Buquet. For as long as the Phantom had been around, it was said that his signature was death by hanging, by a Punjab lasso, to be specific.

Buquet had been a stagehand at the Opera Populaire four years ago. He was rumored to be a drunk, a gambler, and abusive at times. He had been in charge back then, not that he did much with the privilege.

One night, after the scenery had fallen twice in a performance because it wasn't tied correctly, he was found dangling from a noose on the stage much like that dummy had been this evening. Jacob shivered, hatred growing. No matter how awful Buquet had been, that was cold-blooded murder.

Bella was shivering. She seemed to still be lost in thought, perhaps in memories of the man who had taken her away from him for the past two days. "Bella." He said, drawing her attention back to him. "You must be freezing. Here." He took off his own jacket and placed it around her shoulders. He was grateful for his own high body temperature.

It must have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that in the next moment, he heard a whisper full of emotion echo him. "Bella."

"What was …" He looked around, but there was no one as far as he could see. Bella stiffened in his arms, defying the idea that he had imagined it.

"Oh god." She whispered, burying her face in his shirt.

He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing out all the rest and savoring the sensation. "Bella," he began, quietly, not wanting to startle her, "Let's not talk of this darkness anymore for now. You don't have to be afraid. I'm here, nothing can harm you."

The words rang inside Bella's head. Those exact words had been sung to her less than a day before. They were a line from Edward's song, All I Ask of You. The one that she had wanted to sing with him all the way through. The one that she had planned on asking him to sing with her tonight. Until all of this happened, at least. She winced into Jacob's shirt, but the melody was playing in her head now. The words flew from her mouth without her direction.

"All I want is freedom,  
A world with no more night,"

Jacob looked down at her, startled by her singing. Her voice was angelic. He wasn't particularly a fan of music in general, but she was the exception. She was entrancing.

"And you always beside me  
To hold me and to hide me."

Speech was impossible for Jacob at that moment. He pulled her closer to him, not caring where that song had come from, if it had been something from that man, that _Edward_. All he cared about at this moment was holding Bella to him as tightly as he could.

"I will protect you, Bella. You don't have to worry anymore. We have everything under control."

His voice was stronger than it ever had been before. There was an undercurrent of steel beneath the words. He meant them more than he had ever meant anything in his life. Jacob was shocked by the feeling coursing through him, even more shocked when he was almost bowled over by Bella wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself to him.

She was so soft, light, and good. She deserved so much better than some stalker who had been watching her since she was twelve and called himself the Phantom of the Opera. She deserved the world.

With that resolution firmly in mind, Jacob, the Vicomte de La Pushe, swore war upon the man who haunted her. _When it comes down to it, Monsieur Phantom, you are just a man._

"Bella, you have to be freezing. Come back inside." She didn't move, and he knew she was remembering the same arguments that had made her come up here in the first place. "I'm here now. You don't need to be afraid anymore."

Bella pulled away from him enough to see into his eyes. When she was little, Jacob had protected her from imaginary dragons and goblins. Now, his protective instincts made her want to smile, something she hadn't thought she would want to do for a while. She knew that Edward was not something that he could protect her from.

The question that rang in her mind was, did she even want to be protected?

Caught between the wonders of her nights with him and the horrors of what he was in the light of day, she could not answer that question.

- - -

Edward had spent the entire beginning of the opera contemplating his options.

He could do nothing. Ignore that they had disobeyed his instructions and just send more notes and drop some scenery at the next rehearsal. That way, Bella could stay oblivious to the other side of him.

The problem was, that was no solution in the long run. There were plans in his mind, plans involving _Don Juan Triumphant_ and Bella. He needed to do something that would make the managers and the patron listen, once and for all.

He could do something. Plans were already in his mind. He knew what he could do. It would be easy, child's play. But what would Bella's reaction be to this news? How would she react when she learned that he was the Phantom?

What decided it in the end was his temper. Jessica sounded truly terrible tonight and the only reason they had cast her at all was to spite him. There was no other reason possible.

Edward was a man of his word. Once he had decided to go through with his plan, he went through with it.

It didn't matter that Bella's shock and horror was breaking his heart, something he hadn't thought he possessed enough for it to break. It didn't matter when his managers came on to follow his orders after he slipped a concoction from Carlisle's office into Jessica's throat spray. He had promised them a disaster beyond their wildest imagination, and continuing the opera was not such a disaster.

For one, awful moment, he had actually considered killing someone. Seeing the pain and terror on Bella's face directed at him had damaged something within him. He controlled himself very quickly though. Faster than he had ever done anything, he dressed a mannequin from the costume rooms in clothes and strung it up with what they all considered to be his signature lasso. Ridiculous.

Edward wasn't even involved in the decision anymore. He was on automatic, playing the Phantom of the Opera, a part he had played for more than five years now. His only hope was the Bella wouldn't see this second act.

When he had dropped the mannequin, her terrified face had filled his eyes.

Now though. He had thought his heart had broken earlier. That was laughable. As he stood behind a statue, hearing Bella tell her Jacob about his evils, hearing her sing _his song_ to another man … he felt shattered.

They were gone now. They had gone back inside. They were human. They didn't want to stand in the cold.

He was a monster. It didn't affect him. He was in a million pieces, strewn across the snow. He was frozen forever. Knowing that the cold shouldn't hurt didn't stop everything else from crushing him.

He looked down at his hands when he felt something drop from them. He felt as if he were watching someone else's hands. They were holding a rose, one of his roses. He had brought it to give to her, before the performance, he had brought it so that he didn't have to return to his darkness below the opera house, so that he could go right to her room. Not anymore. His hands were crushing the petals, tearing them to pieces. They fell from his hands like drops of blood.

His voice was a broken whisper when he finally spoke to the silence and the night.

"I gave you my music,  
Made your song take wing,  
And now …"

It was all made worse because tears couldn't fall from his eyes. He was such a monster. He had heard Jacob's thoughts. The boy thought that he didn't deserve her. He was right. He didn't.

Jacob, maybe Jacob did. The thought broke him more. He hadn't thought it possible. The boy loved her. Perhaps he hadn't said the exact words even to himself yet, but he did. How could he not?

"Bella …" He whispered. He fell to his knees, staring at his inhuman, icy hands in repulsion. What had he done?

* * *

**A/N: ***Cowers away from the angry Edward/Bella Lovers* I'm sorry! It had to happen! We now reach the end of Act One, which is actually much more than halfway through the story ... if I stick to my plans, then I should have 9 chapters left after this one. Poor Bella. Poor Edward. I was definitely tearing up as I wrote this chapter. Thanks so much with sticking with me through all my insane breaks and waits for chapters, sometimes real life has this annoying habit of interfering with my online life. ;-)

If this chapter made you sad, or if you're mad at Bella for being such an idiot and getting all worked up over this, or if you just want to make my day a little less stressful and a little happier, then click that button and review! You're increasing my faith in the human race. I'm incredibly grateful to all the people reading this story and especially to those unbelievably awesome ones who take the time to review. Thank you so much.

**Next Time: **Bella regrets her reactions and Act Two begins.


	16. Entr'acte

**Previously:** Bella realized that Edward is the Phantom of the Opera and ran into Jacob's arms. Edward watched them talk and was heart-broken. Bella told Jacob everything except that Edward is a vampire.

**Music Note: **Nothing for this chapter, this is really more of a transition chapter, the end of intermission and beginning of the second act. :-)

**

* * *

**

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 15**

**Entr'acte**

Bella refused to go back to her own room to sleep. Instead, she ended up in Rosalie's room, although she didn't sleep anyway. They had never said it, but she knew that Edward planned to take her back down to his home tonight. Despite everything he had done, choosing to sleep in Rosalie's room felt like she was betraying him.

Rose was curious, but Jacob's warning face and Bella's stunned silence made her hold back her curiosity. Esme brought a mattress for Bella without talking to any of them. Her only interaction was to give Bella a half grim and half heartbroken look. After about half an hour during which none of them said much, Jacob left, muttering something about talking to the managers.

Then it was just Rose and Bella. Rose was feeling perhaps a tiny portion of the shock that Bella was in. That straw figure had practically come down on her head and she had thought it was real person for one long moment.

Neither of them spoke. There were simply no words in this long night. Rose wished that Emmett were here. After the dummy fell, she had gone to him first. They had hugged, clutching on to one another for a long moment. Rose had always believed in the Phantom of the Opera, but that didn't mean that it didn't terrify her to have this sudden and absolute confirmation of her fears.

She knew that Bella was dealing with something more than that, but she would hold off all the questions for later. For now, she wasn't even sure that they would squeeze past her chest. Eventually, Rose blew out the candle, sending the room into darkness.

"Bella," she whispered to the pitch-black room, "it's going to be okay. We'll get through this."

A quiet sound came from Bella's direction, something like a whimper. Rose lay down in her bed and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to wash it away, praying that she wouldn't be tortured by nightmares but knowing that she would be.

To finally make herself drift off, she relived the memory of Emmett's arms around her, his hard body pressed along hers. The safety of that moment sent her off to sleep with no dreams at all.

Bella was not so lucky. She lay awake in her makeshift bed for hours. Whenever she began to fall asleep, her head would fill with Edward's eyes. Darkened and hungry like they had been after the first time she kissed him, gold and full of adoration as he watched her sing, passionate and intense as he sang to her, beauty incarnate after he kissed her the second time. Worst of all was when they assumed an expression she had only imagined. Broken and lost, betrayed by her.

That was when she would sit up, panting and crying. Torn between her Edward and the Phantom of the Opera. In pieces because she was hurting him, but she still loved him, would always love him no matter what he did.

- - -

After three days of zombie-like detachment from the world, Bella woke up determined. It ended tonight. The Opera Populaire had, for the past three days, been in a state of lockdown just like Bella herself was. Today was the end of that.

The first thing she did with this new determination was to wake Rose up and hug her. The two girls held on to each other for a long moment. Bella fought back the emotion that seemed ready to overwhelm her again.

"I'm sorry." Bella said as she drew back.

Rose shook her head, tears shining in her eyes, though she was trying to blink them back. "Anything you need, Bella."

Bella wanted to just leave, not to tell Rosalie the truth. It had been hard enough to tell Jake and the story had practically fallen from her lips unbidden then. "I want to tell you what happened." She said. Her voice was hoarse. She practically hadn't spoken for the past three days.

Rose, fighting back her natural curiosity in favor of what she knew was the right thing to do, took a deep breath. "I'll listen whenever you're ready Bella, but you don't owe me an explanation. We are sisters."

Bella smiled a real smile for the first time since she had heard Edward's voice booming around the opera house. "I want to tell you." She said, resolute.

The story didn't come out any more easily the second time. Bella was proud of Rose for managing to restrain herself to only a few gasps.

When the story was over, Rose hugged Bella again and said in a whisper, "What are you going to do?"

Bella's tale, while incredible, made a lot of sense to Rose. Things that she had heard the Vicomte de La Pushe interrogating her mother about over the past three days. Things that she had noticed in her years at the Opera Populaire. Bella's Edward was the Phantom of the Opera. Incredible, but Rose believed it.

This question had haunted Bella for the past three days. She took in a deep breath of air. "I'm going to talk to him."

Rose's eyes widened, but she stopped herself from questioning her friend. There was a moment of silence and then Rose burst out, unable to stop herself. "Oh Bella! Be careful! This is so scary! Jacob knows, right? So the managers know?"

Bella nodded. She had considered this and could only hope that the managers and Jake wouldn't try anything against Edward. They would fail, she knew that.

"I have to go now, Rose. I can't go back into the stupor I've been in for the past three days."

Rose nodded, "Bella, shouldn't someone go with you? How are you going to try to talk to him?"

Bella shrugged, she hadn't really thought about that part. Edward had always come to her. She couldn't imagine that he wouldn't this time. She paled a little at the thought. Oh god, she had betrayed him. Maybe he wouldn't come …

The thought frightened her more than she could say and it made her even more certain that she had to do this now, before he could drift farther away from her. Before she could hurt him more. "If he doesn't come, I'll sing to him. I'll do anything. He has to come." She could hear the note of desperation in her voice, but she hoped that Rose couldn't.

"And I have to do this alone Rose." Her friend looked terrified for her. Bella was just grateful that she wasn't examining her for insanity. Admittedly, this was slightly saner than an angel teaching her, but still. It was a good thing that she hadn't admitted the vampire aspect of it to anyone.

The journey to her room was a blur in Bella's mind. She hadn't left Rose's room since the night of _Il Muto_, so she received some strange looks, but she couldn't remember much else about the trip, because the shock awaiting her when she reached her room was simply too much.

She didn't know what she had expected. Him, she supposed. When she got up her courage to go face him, she had expected that he would be there waiting for her.

What was waiting for her in her room was a rose, lying on the floor in front of the mirror. It was a perfect rose, typical of him. Deepest, blood red petals and a thornless stem. Tied to it was his black silk ribbon and tied to the ribbon was a note.

She recognized the paper it was written on and winced. The same paper that the notes from the opera ghost came on. She bent down, ignoring the feeling of foreboding that filled her at the sight of the flawless flower.

In black ink, in perfect script, were two words.

_**Forgive me.**_

She sank to the ground. Her eyes kept tracing the letters, over and over. They seemed so simple, not terrible at all, an apology perhaps.

They weren't. She knew Edward well enough to know what it meant, even though her mind was refusing to grasp the concept at this moment.

This was a good-bye.

She welcomed the darkness that consumed her.

- - -

When Esme found Bella, it was only at the Rose's urging. Esme hadn't even known that Bella had come out of Rose's room. At first she had been happy. Perhaps now everything could be worked out between Edward and Bella. She celebrated too soon.

Bella was collapsed on her floor before her mirror in a dead faint. Esme considered calling Carlisle, but she didn't want to make Bella wake up to him after losing Edward. She had read the note. She knew what it meant.

Esme knew Edward's misgivings when it came to Bella. She could sympathize with them in many ways. She knew what it was to believe that you are not worthy of the one you love.

Now though, she couldn't concern herself with Edward's pain. She had enough to deal with just with Bella.

She wouldn't be able to pick the girl up. That was beyond Esme's strength by a long shot. Again she considered calling Carlisle or even Emmett, but then Bella started to move slightly.

"Bella?" Esme asked, concern coloring her voice. "Bella, can you hear me?"

It was only because she was bent down beside her that Esme could hear Bella's whisper, "Edward …" Esme set her mouth in a straight line. She didn't know the details of course, but neither of them was doing each other any favors with this mess.

"Bella, come on sweetheart, wake up."

Bella's eyes opened, but there was something lacking in them. It took her a moment to focus on Esme's face. "Esme." She said, faintly.

"It's going to be alright. Let me help you stand up." Esme hooked her arm around Bella's shoulders. Bella placed nearly all her weight on Esme, weakly going along with Esme's direction to the bed.

As she lay down on it, she mused that she hadn't eaten in two days and had barely slept since _Il Muto_. "He left, Esme." She said, her mind unable to focus on much. "He's gone."

Esme's heart went out to Bella. She sounded so young and so lost. _I hope you're seeing this Edward!_ She yelled out in her head, hoping he could hear her. _Leaving her is no way to go about it._

What the right way was, Esme couldn't be sure, but she knew that this was wrong. "Bella, shh. Just lie down and try and get some rest. I'm going to get you some food, okay?"

There was no response, so Esme decided to just try to get the food as quickly as she could. She wasn't blind. She knew that all the food they had tried to make Bella eat had gone uneaten. _Oh, Bella._

On her way to the kitchen, she was so lost in thoughts of Bella and her troubles that she ran headlong into Jacob. "Oh, I'm so sorry Vicomte, I didn't see you." She said, hoping that his pleasantries wouldn't last long.

She was destined for disappointment though. Jacob was bound and determined in his goals at this moment. "Madame Hale, you're just the person I wanted to see. I need to see Bella."

Esme groaned in her mind, but was too polite to let it out audibly. "Well, Bella's not ready for visitors yet and …"

He interrupted. "Look, I know about Edward. I'm doing everything I can to catch the bastard, but everyone has heard too many legends to begin to think he's a real person. And …"

It was Esme who interrupted this time. "What? What do you know about Edward? Who have you told about him?" There was panic in her voice that went beyond Bella's current situation to Edward and Bella's relationship as a whole. This had to work out for them somehow or they would both be forever broken.

"Bella told me about what happened right after _Il Muto._ I've tried to convince Quin and Embré that their Phantom is just a man, but they don't want to listen to reason right now. They are too lost in the disaster this has all been." He examined the fear on her face and tried to reassure her. "I haven't told them about the details with Bella. They just think she's very sensitive and it scared her."

Esme recalled the first sense she had gotten from Jacob, that he would be trouble for Edward and Bella. The steely look in his eyes every time he even came close to mentioning Edward seemed to cement it. So many troubles.

But for now, maybe this could help. Her decision was instantaneous. If Bella had trusted him enough to tell him about Edward, than she would trust him as well. She just hoped that she wouldn't regret it.

"Bella is resting in her room. She just got another shock. Do you think you can help me get her some food? I don't think that she's eaten in a while."

Jacob beamed at her. "Of course!" He enthused. "Anything for Bella."

The foreboding she felt was shoved aside in the face of some support. _We'll deal with it later, I suppose._ She thought as she led the way to the kitchens to carry some food back to Bella.

- - -

Quin and Embré couldn't decide whether it was good or bad that they hadn't gotten a single letter from the Opera Ghost since the disaster that was _Il Muto_. On the one hand, they welcomed a respite from the insanity that the ghost or phantom or man had visited upon them since they had first come here. On the other, they would almost prefer to know what he was up to instead of this silence.

The day after _Il Muto_, Jacob had come to them in a passionate rage. He was convinced that the Phantom was only a man and that they were to smoke him out. Hunt him down. The managers were convinced otherwise.

Whether he was a man or not, it took a powerful person to pull the strings that he had on that awful night. One moment his voice was booming around the theater, the next a mannequin from the dressing rooms was falling from the rafters of the stage, all without anyone seeing anything.

Going up against that would take more than three men without even a gun. Besides, they had heard the legends now. They believed them. More than anything, they believed that this Phantom was willing to kill. They weren't going to risk that.

Now it had been a week. In that week, the managers had waited, holed up in their office, for the next instructions from the Opera Ghost. They had waited in vain because nothing came.

The Opera Populaire was closed to all business. The thing that made them peek up their heads three days later was the queue outside the theater. It had been mysteriously closed after a disaster that rumor said was a man's hanging. Obviously the view from the farther back seats had not been good enough to discern that the hanging figure was not human.

Embré, ever in touch with the mood of the people, was the one to speak first to Quin. "This isn't necessarily a bad thing."

That sparked off quite an argument. But in the end, Embré convinced Quin after showing him the dozens of newspaper articles and the lines of people hanging around the closed opera house for a chance to see what was happening and get tickets to the next show.

It was time to reopen the Opera Populaire, ignoring their missing Phantom and hoping that their star soprano wasn't too overwrought by what she had seen at _Il Muto._

When it came to Mademoiselle Swan, both of the managers were sympathetic to a point. It had to be quite overwhelming to be picked out by such a … man. Still, all this business about collapsing and refusing to eat seemed rather over the top. They hadn't actually seen Bella, only heard about it all from Jacob and Esme.

With the situation as it was, when Jessica flounced into their office seven days after _Il Muto_, they proved to be much more receptive to her offer to sing for them than they might otherwise have been.

They hadn't gotten any letters from the Opera Ghost saying that they couldn't use Jessica again. Bella was obviously in no shape to be starring in an opera. She had a beautiful voice and they realized that she was a much better star than Jessica, but still. Jessica was the one who was here to make them money.

And so they scheduled another showing of _Il Muto_ with the roles the same as they had been that night of the disaster.

Outwardly they both pretended nonchalance. Inwardly they both prayed that the disasters of their first few days of being managers were a fluke.

- - -

It took a while for Edward to manage to leave the roof where he had seen Bella and Jacob together. Eventually, he realized two things. First, that he would not be capable of killing himself while Bella was still alive, even if she despised him. Second, that he needed music perhaps more than he had ever needed it before.

With that, he was back in his home with no recollection of getting there. Everything was in a kind of haze. All he could see was the horror and betrayal in Bella's eyes after he let that dummy drop onto the stage.

She was surely realizing what a monster he was now. Before, she had been under the influence of his voice. Vampire. Everything about him drew her in. She had no other options.

Now though, he would do what he should have done all along. He would leave her alone. Perhaps this Jacob could deserve her in a way that he could never hope to do. Perhaps they could be happy together.

He longed to be able to cry.

Instead, all he could do was write music. And so he did. Dark, jarring notes. Melodies that spun around in a frenzy. The madness in his head in musical form.

He spent a whole day at the organ without break. At the end of those 24 hours, he found himself staring at his fingers as they played a simple, tragic melody. It took him a moment to recognize it.

When he did, he almost recoiled from the pain that burst in him. It was her lullaby. The memory of the time that she had spent down here was painful in its perfection. The monster in him, the selfish side asked, _Why did I ever let her go? She wanted to stay._

The other part of him, the part that knew what was right, was disgusted by this concept. _She deserves so much better._

As he thought this, her lullaby darkened. It had once been a reflection of his love for Bella. There had been hope in every note, ideas unspoken but still there. Now, the notes were mournful.

His eyes burned. Not crying was a painful experience. His eyes yearned for liquid, for the water that would otherwise be pouring forth.

The song came to its inevitable end with a final, tragic chord. He pulled in a breath that sounded more like a sob and pushed his body away from the piano. He knew what he had to do.

Bella deserved more than a monster. And so, he would let her go.

He watched himself get the rose, strip it of thorns, write the note, and place it in her room all as though he was watching a stranger. It was the oddest feeling, as though he had completely detached himself from his actions. In a way, he was glad of it. He didn't want to experience the pain that this would have held otherwise.

Edward spent the next week lying on the swan bed where Bella had once slept in a kind of stupor. Nothing could rouse him, although nothing tried either. He was attempting to wrap his mind around life without Bella and failing miserably. Perhaps it was a bad idea to choose this place to attempt it. A place where he was surrounded with her scent.

After that week, he suddenly stood up. His throat was burning strongly enough to distract him a little bit from the burn in his heart and his organ was calling to him. Not to write heartbreaking melodies to Bella though. No, that was over with.

After his hunting trip, the idea had cemented itself into his mind even more clearly.

He could not leave Bella with a single rose and two words. As much as that would be the better way for her, it was impossible for him. She was his life and he was far too theatrical to let her slip away just like that.

He would give her up, but first he had to do this one thing. He had to hear her sing his opera.

And so he sat down at his organ, picked up the pages of _Don Juan Triumphant,_ and began to write.

- - -

"I know that I already hired you and I know that you don't drop cases, but I don't care!" Jessica's screech filled the street.

"You don't understand." James's voice was smooth and almost bored. "_I _don't care what you want anymore. You can have your damn money back if you want it. I don't care about that anymore."

"If you don't care, than you'll drop it. I don't want you to kill her anymore."

Jessica was back at James and Victoria's house. After securing her job from the managers again, she had gotten sudden cold feet about this whole mess with Bella Swan. The girl was just a child. Useless, really. She had spent the past week holed up in her room, for god's sakes. It wasn't nearly a big a deal as the child was making it out to be.

"And what caused this switch in your opinions Jessica?" James asked.

"I have my role back. The managers have obviously seen that she cannot handle the stress."

James let out a quiet sound of thought. "Hmm. Yes, I've heard about everything happening at your opera house. I'm intrigued. You are no longer hiring me for this Jessica."

Jessica hissed. "James, you cannot kill that girl! I thought that if she died the silly 'Phantom' would be blamed, but the man has disappeared and his favoritism of her is unparalleled. He wouldn't kill her. If I was implicated …" She trailed off, unable to contemplate such a scenario.

James seemed unconvinced. Jessica was ready to beg. "Please James! As a favor to me."

He sighed, looking at the desperate woman on his doorstep with disdain. Would he really do this for her despite who delicious the girl had smelled, despite the mysteries of the Opera Populaire that he was only at the surface of?

"For now, I will not kill her Jessica." Jessica smiled a little grin of victory. "But be careful. I'm going to be watching and I reserve the right to change my mind."

Then his vindictive side came out. "And if what I've heard about this girl's voice is even half-true, no doubt you'll be back begging me to kill her in a month. When she gets over her little Phantom scare, your managers will be begging her to come back."

Jessica's lips formed a thin line. "We'll see, won't we James."

She flounced off, leaving James at the door. Bella Swan. Oh, he would restrain himself for a while for Jessica. She could be useful sometimes and her money was even more useful. Still, he was not letting this one go, not for anything.

* * *

**A/N: **I know, I know, another belated chapter! I'm so sorry, but my life revolves around school until AP exams are over. You're lucky I'm taking a break long enough to give you this :-) There's probably going to be another week long break or so ... expect an update by May 11th at the latest! (On that day I will officially be free of my AP classes, yes!)

Thank you for all the passionate reviews, I love that you've gotten so into this story! As always, even the shortest reviews are highly appreciated - just think, if you review, I may be more motivated to write and update instead of studying! (Which, of course, is probably a bad thing for me, but a good thing for you ...)

**Next Time:** We rejoin our characters a month later as they ring in the new year - with new relationships and a new opera.


	17. A New Year

**Previously: **Bella realized that she didn't want to leave Edward, but it was too late ... he had already left her. Jacob and Bella had a moment on the roof earlier and Rose and Jake both know about Edward (well, not the vampire part of course)

**Music Note: **_Masquerade_! Of course, I don't actually have any of those lyrics in here, but that's where we are! Let Act Two begin. :-)

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 16**

**A New Year**

When Emmett asked her to attend the New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball with him, Rose just stared at him for a full minute. Her first conclusion was that she must not have heard him correctly. "Sorry, what did you say?" She asked.

Emmett had blushed, _blushed_! And repeated the invitation. Rosalie blinked several times, pinched herself surreptitiously, and then said yes.

Now, as she examined herself in Bella's mirror, she was seriously questioning her decision. Yes, there was something there between her and Emmett. Did she really want it to go any further than a possibility though? It was such a risk. She bit her lip, readjusting the way her dress fit for the fifth time.

Normally, she would be discussing these major issues with Bella, who was lying on her bed, but in the past month, Rose had given up discussing anything with Bella.

She still didn't understand what had happened during those two days that Bella had vanished. She didn't think that she ever would understand it completely. All she could do was be there for her friend whenever she needed it, and she needed it a lot lately.

Bella's brokenness after _Il Muto_ hadn't let up over time. In fact, when she had finally moved back to her own room, Bella had fallen into a depression deeper than what she had been in before. It was really only due to Jacob that she wasn't still in a practically catatonic state.

Even with Jacob's good influence though, she still got into moments like these sometimes. Moments where she would just be silent and still, or moments when she would hum melodies or whisper lyrics. Rose knew that it was unfair of her to do so, but when Bella got like that, she usually left the vicinity.

It was like being around a crazy person sometimes. She was so damaged by whatever had happened. Rose dug her nails into her palms, praying that Bella would snap out of it in time for the ball. "Bella?" She asked. "Bella, it's almost time to go. Are you ready?"

To Rose's eternal gratitude, Bella chose that moment to break away from whatever her thoughts had been. "I'm sorry Rose, what was that?"

She was willing to be patient. "I was asking if you were ready to go."

Bella stood up and gazed at herself in the big mirror in her room, her eyes distant. She fiddled with her dress and then picked up the mask that Rose had gotten for her. "Sure." She said, her voice faint.

Rose looked her friend over, evaluating. Bella was just as beautiful as always and the dress was perfect for her, but she still looked tired and distant just as she had for the past month. _At least I picked out the perfect dress. The pink is so pretty on her._ It brought out the blush in her cheeks and made her look not quite so ghostly pale.

Setting aside her examination of Bella's exterior, she turned her attention to what she could possibly do for her spirits. "Bella, let's have a great night, okay?" She insisted. Rose stepped over to her friend and seized her hands. Bella finally met her eyes, hesitantly.

Rose wasn't going to let up until she got an agreement out of her. "You're going to finally kiss Jacob because we all know that he's been dreaming about it since he saw you again." Bella began fidgeting with discomfort now, but Rose wasn't done. "And I am going to buck up and have the time of my life with Emmett." She took a deep breath, getting together the nerves.

Bella's eyes went wide at Rose's pronouncement. "As in, you're going to get together for real?" She asked. Her own difficulties were swept away by Rose's drama. Rose smiled, pleased that she was able to distract Bella so thoroughly.

A plan began to hatch in her head. "Bella, let's make a deal. Do you want me to get together with Emmett?"

Rose was overjoyed to hear the life in Bella's voice for the first time in so long. "Of course! Why else do you think I've been talking about it for years now?"

"Well, I want you to be happy again. I want to see you live. So, if I … _talk_ to Emmett tonight, you'll give Jacob the chance he's been waiting for?" It was impulsive and probably a bad idea. Rose knew that. She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to take that step in her relationship with Emmett, but right now it wasn't about her, it was about Bella.

Okay, and she'd dreamed of Emmett for years now, but that was beside the point.

Bella blushed and Rose was so happy to see the color in her friend's cheeks that she would have kissed Emmett on the spot if it would keep the life in her eyes. Bella looked at Rose fiercely. "This talk will involve the relationship that you have both been denying for years? You'll be together after this talk?"

Rose nodded, not bothering to begin arguing that she had not, in fact, been denying things with Emmett for years. _Probably because I have._ But that thought wasn't going to see the light of day.

There was a moment of silence as Bella battled demons within her own mind. Then she took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, doubtfully. "Okay. If you face up to Emmett tonight, then I'll give Jake a chance."

Rose felt like celebrating, but restrained herself. Bella kept talking. "But I swear Rose, if it ends up that you tricked me or something ridiculous like that, then I'll … I'll …"

Rose resisted the urge to laugh at Bella's empty threats. "Don't worry Bella. I'll go through with it."

Then Rose scooped up her own mask and placed it on her face. "Let's go!"

The trek down to the lobby was made in silence. Now that the spur of the moment deal had been made, Rose was beginning to feel a touch of nerves. It was strange for her because she never got nervous when it came to the opposite sex. Then again, with Emmett all the rules got thrown to the wayside.

The lobby was a swirl of colored gowns and costumes. Even so, it didn't take Rose long to find Emmett. His sheer size made him impossible to miss, even in such a crowd. Rose pulled Bella along with her through the crowds to get to him.

She tapped his shoulder when they reached him. Emmett whirled around with a huge grin. "Rosie!" He paused to examine her dress. "I don't know what you're supposed to be, but you look gorgeous." Rose smiled, even choosing to ignore the nickname this once.

"Bella and I are above the silly costumes that the rest of the people here are wearing." She said, waving a hand around them.

Emmett was still eying her and Rose had half a mind to just go get the deal with Bella over with right now, to go _talk_ to Emmett, but she couldn't leave her friend alone. She turned to Bella. "Do you see Jacob anywhere?"

A tiny smile lit on Bella's face and she nodded suddenly, "There he is, talking to Quin and Embré. Listen, you two go, uh, talk. I'll see you later." The look in her eyes almost made Rose burst into a spontaneous dance of victory.

She hadn't seen Bella look so happy and alive since the night of her premier. Maybe things really could get back to what they were before. Bella squeezed through the crowds away from them and Rose turned back to Emmett. "Shall we go somewhere a little quieter?" She asked, loud enough to be heard over all the people.

Their eyes locked together for a long moment. Rose could feel her body temperature go up several degrees just from the heat of his gaze. God, he really was the man of her dreams if she could bring herself to admit it.

Emmett broke their gaze first, but only so that he could take her hand and pull her through the people to the side of the ballroom. When the noise had gotten down to a reasonable level and they had reached a more secluded area, they both stopped.

When they turned to face one another again, Rose was distracted from the subject she was supposed to be talking about because she finally let herself look at Emmett's costume. She took a moment to stare down the black outfit and the cape, taking in the lasso hanging from his belt and the black top hat on his head. "Emmett McCarty, I swear, you had better not be dressed up as the Phantom of the Opera."

Her voice was dangerous and it dropped to a whisper when she said the final words. She glanced around as though expecting Bella to pop up and sink back into her usual gloom just by looking at Emmett's idiotic choice of a costume.

Emmett, his typical boyish self, just said, "Yeah, I am! Isn't it a great costume? I have a perfect mask too, do you want to see?" He was reaching into his jacket when Rose grabbed his arm.

"No, I do _not_ want to see!" Her voice was still icy. "Did you think about what this might do to Bella?"

"Bella?" He asked sounding confused. Rose let out an indignant huff.

"Honestly Emmett, I know that you haven't heard the whole story, but put two and two together, can't you?"

Based on the uncomprehending expression on his face, this wasn't making any sense to him. She shook her head, utterly frustrated with his maleness. Men were such idiots sometimes. She had guessed most of what had happened with Bella long before her friend had told her the details.

"I can't believe that I am attracted to this." She muttered to herself.

"What was that, Rosie?" Emmett asked. The smug little smirk on his face told her that he had heard at least some of it.

Rose glared at the stupid, fake rope hanging from his pants. "Give me this." She said, pulling it away from him. Without the prop he could have passed for any number of characters. She pursed her lips, still not completely satisfied with his costume, but it would have to do. She stared at the rope in her hands, wondering what exactly she was going to do with it.

Emmett seemed content to let her oddities slide for now. "Rosie, I like your costume a lot, but I still don't quite get who you're supposed to be."

Rose looked down at her form-fitting dress that flared out into a ball-gown skirt. It was a deep red that Esme would normally not have let her wear, but it was a special night and Esme had been very busy with Bella over the past month. "I'm not supposed to be anyone. This whole masquerade thing is just a silly idea that the managers thought up. They get more ridiculous by the day."

She glared at Emmett's costume again, meeting his own slightly wounded gaze. Not surprisingly, he adored the childish idea. She would have rolled her eyes, but it was spoiled by the thought that popped up in her head, _He's adorable._

She played with the rope in her hands, suddenly regretting all their argument over this. She needed to follow through so that Bella would have to do the same with Jake and that hadn't been the best lead-in. She sighed. _Get it together. This is for Bella._

"Emmett, I wanted to talk to you about something else." _Blunt and direct is always best, especially when it comes to Emmett._

"Okay, can I have my Punjab Lasso back then?" Rose raised her eyebrows, glancing from the piece of rope she held in her hands to the man she had dreamed of being with for years now.

"This is not a Punjab Lasso." She said, clarity in every syllable. After that comment, her former intentions were almost forgotten. "This is a piece of rope that you stole from backstage. And no, you cannot have it back."

"But why –"

Rose interrupted. "And if you have to ask why then you are even less observant than I give you credit for."

He was still looking at her blankly. She sighed, "Bella." She said, stressing each syllable. "And I'm not saying any more than that."

She looked him up and down, appraisingly. Despite their arguments, despite Emmett's utter obliviousness, she still wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything. And not just his body either. "Come on," she began, an idea coming to her. It would take guts and bravery, but when it came to romance, those were two things that Rose had in spades. "We're going to take this stupid rope backstage again."

The silence lasted all of a second. "Okay then," Emmett said, eagerness filling his tone. Rose arched an eyebrow at the tone and met his eyes.

There was something there that she hadn't expected. Passion was filling them and something else … something deeper. "O-okay." She stuttered, confidence failing her for once.

Emmett smiled at her and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She flushed in a Bella moment as she felt his warm, hard body pressed against the curves of her side. "I'll show you where I got it." Was it just her or had his voice gotten more husky?

The walk backstage was silent. There were no words necessary to express the chemistry and sparks brewing in between them. The nearly palpable tension.

They halted when they reached the costume room. "Emmett, I –" Rose wasn't sure what she had been planning to say, but when she looked back up into his darkened eyes, it was all forgotten.

In later years, she would swear that she moved first while he would adamantly say that it had been him. Either way, in the seconds after they had reached the costume room, their lips met in a passionate, mutually desired kiss.

His mouth caressed hers, pressing and burning with an intensity that she hadn't imagined would be in their first kiss. She had imagined awkward sweetness. This was none of that. This was a slow burn that ignited where his lips slid against hers and spread throughout her body. It was only when she felt her body ready to give out from lack of air that she pulled away briefly.

"God, Emmett," her voice was intended to be cautioning. Anyone could walk in on them here! Instead it came out as a moan as he moved his attention to her neck.

"I have wanted to do this for so long." The rough words were whispered across her neck in between kisses.

"Me too but, mm, Em …"

He had returned to her lips and her mouth was meeting his tongue for the first time. After that there were a series of minutes in which she couldn't even think, much less put together a sentence telling him they needed to stop.

Luckily or unluckily for them, however you saw it, they were interrupted at that moment by a booming voice, one that both of them recognized. They pulled away from one another, fear in their eyes. Rose was still in Emmett's embrace and she clutched him even tighter. But the voice wasn't coming towards them.

"The ballroom." Emmett said, his voice still slightly hoarse.

Rose took a moment to get her mind working straight again. _That voice. The Phantom. Bella. _"Oh god! We have to get back!"

- - -

When Bella walked over to Jacob and the managers, she had been confidently and fully determined to fulfill her deal with Rose. She would take him aside and she would tell him that she wanted to give _them_ a chance.

By the time that she actually got over to Jake, all that confidence had dripped out of her. _At least it was there for a moment. That's the most determined I've felt since …_ She couldn't make herself think his name.

The past month had been torture. She hadn't gone this long without Edward since she was twelve years old! Every night as she tossed and turned in her bed she cursed herself for her lack of belief in him. That night of _Il Muto_ she had lost faith in her angel, had fallen prey to the rumors, and now she suffered for it.

The worst part was that she hadn't even been able to feel him since that night. There had been no news from the Phantom and she hadn't felt that tingling sensation that he was watching her. Even in the beginning, when she was twelve and he had only come to her once a month or so, she had still always gotten the feeling that he was watching over her.

Anyone else might have been disturbed by the fact that a probable murderer had been watching over them, would be glad for the loss of the sensation. Bella was not anyone else. It had taken her only a matter of days without Edward to realize that what he had done before mattered to her just as little as the fact that he was a vampire.

That was when she had attempted to get through the mirror on her wall. She had been utterly unsuccessful and had only managed to make her fingers bleed with the effort of finding some hidden switch. Esme had come to stop her when she had resorted to hitting the glass and sobbing Edward's name.

She hadn't gotten that desperate since then. Now, she just couldn't quite manage to _feel_. Couldn't quite manage to sing like she had before.

Jake was the only one capable of making her feel anything and sometimes she wondered if that wasn't just because he was the only one around her wholly unconnected to the world of opera and Edward. Either way, he had been her lifeline this past month. As she approached him, she kept this fact firmly in mind. _He deserves a chance. He's been incredible._

Her confidence wasn't fully back, but at least it was something.

She was within hearing distance of the managers and Jake, so her thoughts turned to their conversation. "What a splendid party! A perfect introduction to the new year, don't you think?" That was Quin, she was able to make out. The other two were nodding and smiling.

Jake raised his glass and spoke next. "Indeed. Quin, Embré, a toast to us. For hosting the party of the season and bringing in 1871 in style. Half the town is here you know."

The three glanced around them with satisfaction and Bella tried to be polite as she fought through the crowd to reach them. Then Embré said, "Yes! And here's to a year without that damned Phantom!"

Bella froze for a moment. _A year!? A year without … what if I never see him again? What if I never hear his voice again?_ She was on the verge of a panic attack, but Jake spotted her at that moment.

"Bella!" He called, his voice so happy that she was able to forget her panic for a moment. "Excuse me," Jake said to Embré and Quin and then squeezed through the crowds to reach Bella. He had it a lot easier than she had, either by merit of his size or his importance as the Vicomte.

When he reached Bella he threw an arm around her, supporting some of her weight. "Happy new year, Bells!" He said, and then frowned. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at Jake and took a deep breath, forcing away the remnants of her panic. He was warm and solid and it didn't do to dwell on things she could do nothing about. She met his eyes and smiled at him. "Yeah Jake," she replied, only a tiny tremor in her voice, "I think I'm going to be okay."

His grin was comforting, warm and kind, just like Jake himself. Bella's confidence was trickling back by the minute. It was Jacob.

"Do you want to go to somewhere calmer?" He asked, already walking to the side of the room. "Maybe something to drink, you look pretty pale Bells."

_Just do it._ She thought to herself, trying to channel some sort of inner Rosalie. "Jake, I just wanted to say that you've been so great this past month and …" She almost choked up. Great wasn't even close. She didn't know what she would have done without him.

Well, except for when he was asking her to consider his offers of courting her. Sometimes he would go too far, beyond her comfort zones. He was just a friend, after all.

But maybe that didn't have to be true. Maybe Jake and Rose were right. Maybe she needed to give it a chance.

She looked him straight in his eyes, craning her head up to reach his height. "I mean, I wanted to tell you that if you still wanted to … maybe we could give things a try?" She blushed heavily. He probably had no idea what she was talking about, she had phrased it so awkwardly.

She shouldn't have worried. The moment she started talking, Jake's face had lit up. When she looked to see his expression again, she smiled herself. It was worth it, all her misgivings. How could this be wrong if it made her friend so happy?

She steadfastly ignored all reminders of Edward.

"Oh, Bells," Jake sighed and his arm came around her until they were hugging in the corner of the ballroom. She looked in his eyes again, seeking the reassurance of his happiness, then let herself forget everything else in his warm embrace.

"Bella," he breathed and then they were kissing. Bella couldn't have said who initiated it. It could have been her. All she knew was that their lips were together and it wasn't the explosion that it was with Edward. It wasn't magical or electricity, but it was comforting and soft and Jacob.

She wasn't sure why, but after a moment, the once comfortable kiss became too much. She pulled away and they stared at each other. "Jacob," she whispered, unsure of what she was going to say.

In the end she didn't have to say anything because there was a scream at that moment. "Oh my god!" A woman shrieked. "It's the Phantom of the Opera!"

Jacob whirled around to see what she was talking about. But Bella stayed locked in place. Because she realized now why she had pulled away from Jake. For the first time in a month, she could feel the energy flowing through her that she only got when _he _was around. Edward was back and she didn't need to turn around and see him to know that.

But when he started to talk, she could no longer stop herself. She had to see the man … vampire … who had haunted her dreams for the past month. Who had taught her to sing, who she had fallen in love with and betrayed. Who had betrayed her.

The crowd had gone silent with shock and so his voice rang out all the clearer through the silent ballroom. "Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think I had left you for good?" Bella shut her eyes and clenched her jaw. The cynical and harsh tone was painful in his perfect voice. Every cruel syllable echoed achingly off of Bella's memories of that same voice singing to her that night a month ago.

It was with memories of that night in her mind that she finally turned to see him. He was glorious, not that that surprised her. Just as flawless as the night she had first met him, but harder now. There was a cold look in his eyes that mirrored his chilling tone. He stood at the top of the stairs that led into the ballroom, a dramatic and central place to stand, but with every word he stepped down, closer to her.

She couldn't feel Jake anymore, but she could still see his arm wrapped around her out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be panicking, but Bella couldn't focus on him.

"Have you missed me? I have written you an opera." With this he flung a leather case on the ground and sheets of music spilled out of it. Bella almost cried out. How could he be so cold to his own music? By now he had reached the bottom of the stairs, but he wasn't looking at her. Bella wasn't sure if she wanted him to or not.

"Don Juan Triumphant." She recognized the name with a burn of feeling that spread throughout her body. He was still stepping closer to her. The crowds were parting without a sound to let him pass.

Then he was only feet away from her and he met her eyes. In an instant, all other thought was gone.

His eyes were just the same piercing gold that she remembered. The burn exploded into flames and Bella felt like she had lost control of her own body. For one long moment they stared at each other, the air between them electric with things unsaid. In that second, she thought he was going to touch her, going to take her back. She thought about pleading with him, but she couldn't make a sound. _Please, Edward!_ She cried out in her own mind. _I'm so sorry!_

He took another step closer and a burst of hope exploded in her chest. If he would just return to her, if he would forgive her betrayal she would forgive his abandonment in a second. His expression had softened, she could almost see the look he had given her when she had sung _All I Ask of You_ with him.

And then it was all crushed because he broke her gaze and stared up at Jacob for a long moment. Bella became achingly, horribly aware that she was pressed against him still, that his arm was wrapped around her and that she had just kissed him.

The agonized expression on Edward's face when he looked back at her made something inside of her shatter. His voice was a whisper when he finally spoke, but it echoed through the silent room.

"Your voice is still mine. You will sing for me." And then he vanished and Bella collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks in silence.

* * *

**A/N: **So, I realize that I'm two days later than expected, but I think I made up for it by giving you one of my favorite chapters yet. Awesome Rose and Emmett-ness, Edward is back, and you didn't even have to deal with endless pages of tragic non-Edward-ness (i.e. New Moon). I am officially done with all my AP exams (YAY!!!) and I don't think I failed anything too miserably ;-) So hopefully this means I can get back on a more regular posting schedule. I want to finish this by the end of my school year and with all this extra time in which I am NOT STUDYING, hopefully I can achieve that goal!

As usual, thank you so much for all the reviews! I love hearing what you think. I'm writing only for myself and you and my only form of payment is your feedback! A lot of you have been asking whether I'm planning on changing the ending of the musical ... and while I won't ruin it for you of course, I'll tell you this. First, I am a huge, sappy romantic who loves happy endings. Second, while I'm a Erik/Christine fan through and through, I don't think there was any other way to end the musical. So hopefully that told you absolutely nothing and I have only made you more worried about whether or not Bella and Edward will get their happily forever after ;-) Guess you'll just have to keep reading! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Next Time: **Edward sends notes about his opera and Bella makes a decision.


	18. More Notes

**Previously: **Edward interrupted the Masquerade ball, but only after Emmett and Rose got together and Bella and Jacob kissed. Edward gave them his opera.

**Music Note: **Nothing really, but the note Edward sends is part of the song _Masquerade_ in the movie extended soundtrack and _Notes/Twisted Every Way_ in the musical soundtrack. Those notes give me all sorts of trouble. I want to write them like normal speech, but I hear the song in my head and I think they always come out all rhyme-y and strange ... ;-)

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 17**

**More Notes**

There were no words for what he had felt when he saw the memories in Jacob's mind. The boy hated him with a passion. That wasn't particularly surprising, even if the child didn't know what Bella and he had shared during that magical night.

But that wasn't what pained Edward, what was burning though him, what made him want to collapse and never stand up again. He relived their kiss again in his mind.

_You knew this would happen. You expected it from the moment on that roof. It's why you left her._ The logical side was useless. It was impossible to reason with the fire burning up his insides.

He had not imagined that there could be a hell more dismal than the one he had already been in for the past month, holding himself away from his Bella. This, knowing that she was no longer even his, was infinitely more painful. At least before now he had been able to delude himself into believing that she still cared as much as he did.

He sank down onto the organ bench and sunk his head into his hands. Memories spun around his mind in crystal clear images. Bella kissing Jacob. Bella singing his song for her to Jacob. A hellish month of tortured music without her. That one night of flawless song.

He tried to distract himself from the agony, but it was like the burn of thirst, it wouldn't be shoved aside. _Think about something else! Don Juan Triumphant._ He had given his managers his opera. Yes, this was a good train of thought. There were so many things to work out regarding that. He needed to write to them. They would need lots of direction if they were going to actually pull this off.

The attempt to think of something else didn't last long. His head sank back into his hands as _All I Ask of You_ began to play in his mind. _Oh, Bella._

Even in the darkness and solitude of his home, he could just barely admit to himself why he had come in person to the masquerade. He wanted to see her. He wanted to be near her, to touch her. He couldn't last another hour.

It had been a terrible idea. Faced with her perfection, with just how much he missed her, Edward had been about to give in, to take her back here with him, to reclaim her. She was his Bella, just as she always had been.

Then he had seen Jacob. Sensed was really the word. Jacob's thoughts were panicked, shouting at him in hatred so harsh that even Edward, lost in a haze of Bella, had taken notice.

And then those memories. He winced, fighting back the thought of that kiss

_Oh, Bella. _Edward knew that this is what he had intended a month ago when he had found the strength to leave her, but when faced with the reality of it he could hardly bear it.

_Am I even going to have the strength to get through this opera? _He had thought before that he could simply not handle leaving Bella forever without watching her play the role he had made for her, but now he wondered if it wasn't just an excuse not to leave for good quite yet.

He opened his eyes and stared at blank page in front of him. _I must have the strength. She deserves the world and I can never offer that to her._

He stood up and walked over to begin work on the technicalities of his opera's performance with a determined, tight expression on his face. But even as he fought back the emotions, he still couldn't contain the pain. _Bella!_

- - -

After that … man … had disappeared, Quin stood in silence for all of thirty seconds. He watched Bella cry out and then fall into Jacob's arms, heard a wave of hysteria sweep over the crowd, and then Quin searched out Madame Hale.

He had thought this ridiculousness was over with. He had convinced himself that it was all a joke to break in the new managers. This was not a joke anymore.

And Esme Hale knew something about it. But she was nowhere to be found. _Damn it!_ He cursed in his head. She had been here just a moment ago! Where had she disappeared to? He turned to Embré ready to ask just that question only to see his fellow manager bent over where that … man … had been, reaching to the music he had thrown down.

Quin shivered. Ah yes, the man's opera. Could they really perform what was sure to be an atrocity? Did they have any choice in the matter? It was certainly not worth someone's life. He had heard the dead seriousness in that monster's voice. He meant every word of what he said.

Quin stepped over to Embré, who was now paging through the thick score. "How … what is it?"

"It's insane." Embré breathed, reading the music, "He can't expect anyone to be able to play this! It's madness!" Quin glanced over Embré's shoulder to see a blur of notes and markings, practically incomprehensible.

Tumult still reigned through the ballroom. It occurred to Quin that he and Embré were the only ones who could do anything to calm everyone down. Esme had disappeared and Jacob seemed quite preoccupied with taking care of Bella, who seemed near collapse.

Quin pushed aside his own shock and dealt with the circumstances. "Excuse me!" He could barely be heard. "I said, excuse me!"

A loud whistle silenced everyone. Quin looked around for the source of the noise and found Emmett with his arm slung around Rosalie, looking radiantly smug and absolutely unshaken. Quin found himself a little disgusted with the man. He himself was still shaking in his boots.

"Thank you." Quin began to the shocked crowd. "Now, I'm so sorry for the interruption, but things have come up and we're going to have to ask you all to go home. So sorry!"

He tried to soften the blow, but feared it had come out too harshly anyway. A wave of chatter came from the crowd again, some letting out cries of anger at their abrupt dismissal. Quin couldn't bring himself to care. There were more vital issues.

It took nearly half an hour, but eventually the ballroom had cleared out down to those who actually belonged there. He and Embré stood at the center, pouring over the opera with Monsieur Claireau who kept shaking his head. Jacob was standing near Bella, who had sunk onto a chair and was pale. Emmett and Rosalie stood near them as well, Rose on her knees with Bella, trying to comfort her friend. Various other chorus girls were scattered along the walls talking in hushed whispers and sharing rumors of terror.

It was to this atmosphere that the door suddenly flung open and Esme strode in with a piece of paper in her hand. Everyone in the room turned to stare at her.

She walked straight up to Quin and Embré and placed the paper in their hands. She eyed them both piercingly. "Messieurs." She said, "I have a note."

- - -

_This has gone on long enough!_ That was Esme's first thought when Edward disappeared. She was no idiot. She had seen the pain that burned across his face when he looked at Jacob. She had seen that kiss and she knew exactly what Edward was seeing in his mind.

_I've let him run away from this for a month now. I'm not letting him run away tonight._ She repeated these convictions as she turned away from the ballroom and hurried away down corridors and secret passages, to that place she had only been a time or two. Edward's home.

It was a mess, not that she had expected much more from him. She spotted Edward immediately, hunched over a little desk to the side of his organ. She knew that he knew she was here, so she decided that she could wait until he acknowledged that her presence. She paced over to his organ and pressed down a key.

She flinched away from the loud sound. It never sounded jarring like that when he played it! She hit a few more keys, trying to strike upon the style he used. Suddenly her hand was caught in a cold grasp.

"What are you doing?" She had never seen him look more menacing, not that it had any effect on her.

"Amusing myself until you decide to give me the time of day."

Edward swung away from her and back to his desk, grumbling inaudibly. "Don't touch my organ." He ordered.

Esme put her hands on her hips. Normally, she wouldn't tolerate one of her children talking back to her in such a way, but she supposed she could make an allowance this time for extenuating circumstances.

She spotted a chair, brushed the random papers off of it and pulled it over to his desk. He was writing something at speeds faster than her eye could see clearly. "Edward." She started. Now that she was here, she could hardly think where to begin.

He signed the note, "Opera Ghost" with a flourish and then turned to look at her. His voice was soft and pained. "I know why you came Esme, but it doesn't matter. She moved on. I'm glad that she did."

"Are you?" Esme asked, skeptically.

For a second, devastation crossed his expression, but then he smoothed it over again. "I have to be. I want what's best for her and he can give her so much more than I can."

"Edward," she said, her voice a whisper, "She loves you and you love her. There's nothing else to give."

Silence echoed through the cave. After a long moment, Edward broke it as he reached for wax to seal the letter. "It's irrelevant. I can't offer her a life. No, what I've done is right. What I'm doing is right."

Esme almost asked him who he was trying to convince, but changed her mind. "And what exactly are you doing?" She asked instead, glancing at the letter he now held in his hands.

He looked straight into her eyes. "I'm weak Esme. I can't just let her go. I have to at least hear her sing my opera for me."

"Why haven't I ever heard of this opera before?"

Edward shrugged, running the side of the letter across his palm. "It's something I've been working on for the last month. If they work very hard and follow my every instruction, they may be able to pull it off."

"And Bella plays the lead?" Edward flinched as she said Bella's name.

"Of course. Aminta's part was written for her." He said, attempting to brush aside the pain.

"And who plays the male lead?" Esme asked, shrewdly.

Edward sighed. He had never been able to envision Bella singing this opera with anyone other than himself, but that was ridiculous. Still, to waste his part on that ridiculous Michael and his mediocre voice was a painful thought. "Your Signor Michael I suppose." He said, sneering the name.

There was another moment of heavy silence. Edward listened to the thoughts running through Esme's head, but she was very good at not putting her thoughts into words he could pick up. She thought in vague images when she didn't want him to know something, as she was now.

She changed the subject. "So do you want me to carry this for you?" She asked, gesturing to his note.

He looked at her in surprise. He hadn't heard that plan in her head. "But, you would be …"

Esme shrugged and waved a hand. "I get the feeling that the game is almost up anyway. Might as well add to my mysterious image."

Edward smiled faintly in spite of himself. "Fine." He said, handing the note over to her. He didn't really want to hear more about her thoughts about the 'game being up' anyway.

_Edward,_ Esme's voice rang in his head, _have faith. It will all work out in the end. You love her and she loves you and sometimes that is enough._

Edward shook his head bitterly. "Good-bye Esme." She turned and left without a word.

Edward stared after her, her thoughts ringing in his mind and the image of Bella's kiss with Jacob juxtaposed on top of it.

_And sometimes, Esme, love will never be enough._

- - -

_If I close my eyes for long enough, _Bella thought, nonsensically, _maybe it will all go away and I'll be back under the opera house the night after the premier._ She slumped down further in her chair, relishing the bite of her corset into her stomach. At least it was something real.

She stared at the floor for a long time, tracing the pattern with her eyes and thinking, regretting her rash actions a month ago. _God, why was I able to accept that he is a vampire so easily and this sent me running away from him?_

She knew why, but the question kept nagging at her. Being a vampire was not something Edward could control. Killing someone though. Murder was such a different thing. It changed him in her eyes. And that night during _Il Muto_ she had been silly enough to think that it mattered enough to leave Edward for.

As if anything could break their connection.

Slowly, she registered that Jacob was holding her hand. Twin emotions coursed through her. On one hand she burned with shame over the memory of Edward's heart-broken eyes when he realized how she had betrayed him. On the other, Jacob was sweet, warm and so giving that she could hardly think of pushing him away when all he wanted to do was offer comfort. God knew she needed it.

Jacob had been her savior in every way over this past month. He had listened to her sing _his_ songs and watched her cry for _him_ and never breathed a word of frustration or anger over her grief for a madman. He had never understood, never even really tried to understand, but he did love her.

He was so pure and strong and beautiful and she could hardly bear to let him down like she did every time she thought of Edward. Jacob deserved so much more than a girl whose heart was not hers to give.

That thought rang in her mind. It was true. She had tried to forget it over the past month, tried to bury her connection to her angel, but it wasn't something that anyone could fight. Murder wasn't enough to stop it. Lies weren't enough to stop it. Not even Jacob's safe, generous love could halt their bond, as much as he wanted to.

These were her thoughts, but she didn't break away from Jacob's hand. _I'm so weak, so divided. Twisted every way!_

She heard the doors swing open, interrupting the quiet murmur of voices, and she looked up, happy to be torn from her thoughts. Jacob squeezed her hand and then dropped it, standing up. Bella noticed for the first time that he had been on his knees at her side.

Esme was striding through the room and Bella instantly recognized the envelope that was clutched in her hand. A thrill of nerves and of excitement coursed through her. It may have only served to complicate the situation, but she was so glad that Edward was finally back. Living without him had been unbearable.

_I'm so sorry Jacob! _Her mind cried out one last time before turning itself fully to the note in Esme's hand. She stood up, overcoming her faintness to see what he had written. Her steps were measured as she walked over to Esme and the managers, aware that each step she took also took her closer to Edward's opera. _Don Juan Triumphant_.

That same shiver went through her spine, happiness and fear twining together with another emotion that she couldn't quite name.

Finally, she was standing grouped with the rest of them and Esme was speaking. "I have a note from him."

Dead silence filled the room. Bella reached her hand out as though to take the piece of paper, but no one noticed her gesture. She dropped her hand and squeezed the fabric of her dress tightly as Esme began to read aloud.

"Fondest greetings to you all. A few instructions just before rehearsals start. Jessica must be taught to act, not her normal trick of strutting around the stage. Our Don Juan, Signor Michael, must learn to sing, his part is a challenge and his normal bravado will not suit. And my managers should take note that their role is in the office, they should have nothing to do with artistic decisions. In fact, I shall handle that myself." Esme paused for a long moment, letting Edward's abrasive words sink into each of them.

The managers spluttered but seemed too stunned to reply in words. Bella was too desperate for anything of Edward to leave it at that though. "Is that it?" Her voice cracked from disuse and emotion.

Esme shook her head and shot a searching look at Bella. She tried to look strong under her gaze, but doubted that she had succeeded. Esme continued hesitantly. "Miss Isabella Swan will play the lead role, as she was born to sing it. Your obedient friend and …" Esme hesitated on the next word, "angel, OG."

There was about ten seconds of absolute silence. Then the room exploded with noise. Chorus girls shrieked and Jessica and Michael burst into outraged shouts while the others fought to be heard over the racket. In the chaos, Bella slowly and silently reached for the score of Edward's opera. _Don Juan Triumphant_. For some reason, she couldn't think of anything to do except look for _All I Ask of You_. She needed to see it. Needed to see those words that Edward had written with such love now that she had ruined everything.

_I didn't ruin everything. He murdered someone! _The desperation of her need for Edward was such that she couldn't bring herself even to care.

She opened the opera carefully, as though it was a priceless artifact. The score wavered before her tear-filled eyes as she found Edward's handwriting, the same writing that had been on that note a month ago. She paged through the score with care, only half-listening to the arguments going on around her.

"Ludicrous! Simply ludicrous!" Embré kept repeating, as though the whole situation would vanish if he proclaimed its impossibility enough times.

Luckily, Quin was slightly calmer. He hushed Jessica and Michael, and then turned to the chorus girls watching from the sidelines. "Off you go now!" He called, "Go to bed!"

Complaints filled the hall, but the girls slowly traipsed off to their beds. Once the room was empty except for the managers, Jessica and Michael, Emmett and Rose, Esme, Jake, and Bella. "Now," Quin said, taking control of the situation despite the note of panic in his voice, "this is lunacy, we all know that, but we have no choices in the matter."

Bella glanced up from the score to see peoples' faces. Esme looked concerned, but was obviously masking her emotion. Jessica and Michael were outraged while Emmett and Rose were stealing worried looks at Bella. Jake though, Jake worried her. His face was grim and determined.

"His threat is real, no doubt, and we cannot risk him killing anyone." Quin's words bit through Bella and she winced. _Would he ever … could he … but he has killed before. My Edward is a murderer. A murderer and he surely hates me by now for abandoning him. _She kept flipping through the score, desperately searching for _All I Ask of You_. It was as though that one song would prove that she hadn't dreamed up the Edward she had fallen in love with.

It wasn't there. She held the score numbly. He had taken out their love song. He had cut it out of the opera. _I can't do this!_

"It's an outrage!" Jessica shrieked, "This whole affair is an outrage! To have _her_ play the lead role?! It's an insult! Bella Swan," Jessica sneered at Bella's lost expression. "She doesn't have the voice! I wouldn't be surprised if she was in on this scheme, working together with this madman to secure the leading role in a new opera!"

It all became too much for Bella. "How dare you?!" She yelled out of nowhere. She shut the score and clutched onto it as though she was drowning. "You evil woman! How dare you? I don't want any part in this."

She set the opera delicately on her chair and then forced herself to let it go. However much she wanted to be with Edward again, all they did was cause pain to one another. She couldn't possibly want to be with a murderer, she ignored the voice in her head that said it didn't matter, and he hated her. She couldn't possibly play the part he said he had written for her when he didn't feel for her the same way she felt for him.

If he still loved her, if he had ever loved her, he wouldn't have been able to cut that song from his opera.

Quin and Embré spoke over one another. "Miss Swan, surely …"

"But why not?! It's your decision, but why not?"

"You have a duty! If he murders again because we do not fulfill his orders …"

It didn't matter. She couldn't even begin to sort out her own feelings for Edward, but she was clear on his for her. He hated her betrayal. The one thing that Bella did know was that she could not handle Edward's hatred. "I can not sing it, duty or not." She said, clearly through the cries.

Bella started at the feel of a hand on her elbow. Rose had come to stand beside her, a silent support. Jake was the first to break the silence her declaration had created. "Bella, Bella, you don't have to. They can't make you."

Bella let out a deep breath. That would be the end of it then, if Jake told them that she was not going to sing, then she wouldn't. She was surprised at the disappointment she felt. No matter how much he hated her, part of Bella still longed for anything to do with Edward. A part of her ached and burned for his music.

A long silence fell. Quin and Embré kept giving one another pointed looks as though asking the other to tell Jake that Bella's state of mind was much less important than the lives and reputations of the other people in this opera house, namely themselves. They could very well make her sing. But still, to go against their patron wouldn't work out either.

Bella turned deliberately away from Edward's score that seemed more alluring with each word she said that made sure she would never sing it. A voice in her mind was crying out in protest of her actions. _It's Edward's music! How can I not sing it?_ But the larger part of her knew that she was making the only possible escape.

_Oh Edward!_ Still no one spoke. Finally, Bella worked up enough strength to say something. "I can't sing this part. I'm sorry. I know that I am letting you down, I know that I'm not thinking of what's best for the Opera House. I just can't sing that part."

She tried to leave the room, but Jacob was blocking her way. Their eyes met, his with compassion and protectiveness, hers with a fear and pain that he could never cure.

_He loves me. What a mess I've made of everything!_ With that thought ringing in her mind, she fled the room to find privacy and a place to finally work out all her conflicted emotions.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, everyone is feeling quite conflicted at the Opera Populaire, huh? I love how some of you have gotten so into this story, it makes my day when I get reviews begging for more, or when people threaten to kill me if Bella doesn't end up with Edward. I love how much this story has connected with you, even if it does put my life at risk. ;-)

As always, thank you for reading and reviewers get my undying gratitude. Just press that little button, type in a few words, and I will love you forever. I'm easy like that. ;-) On another note, happy Memorial Day to everyone. Take a moment today to be thankful for those who have sacrificed so much for us.

Back on the story, I get this odd feeling that you are all going to like the next chapter a lot. You know what would make me post it faster? Reviews!

**Next Time: **Bella goes to the cemetery to get away from the angst of the Opera Populaire ... and Edward follows her there. ;-)


	19. Wishing You Were Here

**Previously: **Edward left his opera to be performed by the Opera Populaire with Bella in the leading role. Bella refused and ran out. Bella and Edward currently have lots of angst. ;-)

**Music Note:** Mmm, while this chapter is theoretically the same scene as _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again_, I'm not the hugest fan of that song, and it isn't actually in the story. However, if you have one of the extended editions (_Journey to the Cemetery _for movie and the very end of _Notes/Twisted Every Way _for the musical) is one of my favorite little things of the whole musical, a slowed down, Christine only version of the first verse of _Phantom of the Opera_. Wow, these music notes are getting complicated in this second act!

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 18**

**Wishing You Were Here**

Bella hurtled out of the opera house, miraculously managing not to trip over her skirts on the way out. _I have to get out of here._ She couldn't think coherently when everything around her reminded her of Edward or Jacob. She couldn't think about either of them anymore. _I have to get outside._

When she reached the large doors marking the main entrance to the Opera Populaire, she almost went out. Her hand rested on the wood of the door, ready to push it open, but she hesitated. What exactly did she intend to do out in the streets of Paris in the middle of the night? She had grown up in this opera house, but had rarely traveled outside of it, especially in the dead of night.

She changed direction, but her steps were still quick. She headed down a staircase, along a hall and then she pushed open a door and suddenly she was outside. She sighed deeply, loving the burn of the crisp, cold air down her throat. She looked up and found herself staring at a bright moon that illuminated her surroundings. For a moment, Bella considered just sitting down here, but brushed the idea aside. No, she was going somewhere better.

She knocked on the stable door loudly, the man who was supposed to be awake all night to provide rides was assuredly asleep after the new year celebrations, but she couldn't bring herself to care that she was interrupting his rest. After another fierce knock, she heard grumbling from within and the door squeaked open.

"What d'you want?" The man who peered out asked, bleary eyed and looking as if he had partaken of quite a bit of alcohol.

Bella thought again about not going through with this idea, but then she glanced back over her shoulder at the Opera Populaire and shivered. No, she had to get away from all of that. "Will you take me to the cemetery?" She asked, and before he could protest, she pulled out some money and shoved it in his hands.

He squinted at the coins that laid in his palms and then looked up at her again, more alert this time. He better be, that was a month's savings.

"Sure miss, lemme just hitch up the carriage." He looked her over, curiosity replacing the alcohol in his gaze. "You oughta get something else on miss, you're like to freeze."

Now that he mentioned it, the cold, which had initially been pleasant, was starting to bite. "Thank you." She said, "I'll go get a cloak."

She followed him into the stables and then walked over to the area where traveling clothes were kept. She knew she had some warm clothes here. Indeed, she recognized a black cloak hanging on the wall to be hers. She pulled it on, and then glanced down at herself. The black was more appropriate for her mood than the pink ball gown anyway.

She gave herself a moment and leaned against the wall. _Love me, that's all I ask of you._ And she had refused him, refused to admit to him or to herself that what they had together made everything else irrelevant. She looked through the open doorway at the opera house again and shivered. _I have to get away from here_.

With that thought, she pushed herself upright again and walked outside to see the carriage already hooked up to two horses and the driver seated on the carriage. She was impressed that he had managed it so quickly and silently while drunk. Obviously her money had been quite the motivator.

She stepped into the carriage, trying to turn her thoughts away from the Opera Populaire. _I can't deal with it right now_. She wondered that the driver hadn't acknowledged her again, but he was probably just annoyed that he had to take some girl out in the middle of the night, interrupting his wine-fed sleep.

She spoke, giving the driver a reminder of what she wanted. "To the cemetery please. You can leave me at the gate." Then they began the trek to the cemetery. She sighed. Every clop of the horses' hooves on cobblestones was reassuringly directed away from the mess of conflicted emotions that was the Opera Populaire.

Of course, contrarily, her mind then would not leave the subject. Haunting melodies filled her mind, songs that he had played on that one magical night. Her lullaby, _The Music of the Night_, _All I Ask of You_ … tears brimmed in her eyes and her vision swam. How could he have erased that song from his opera? New notes floated through her mind now. She had never been a composer, but this wasn't composing music so much as feeling her emotions expressed in music.

_In sleep he sang to me  
In dreams he came  
That voice which calls to me  
And speaks my name …_

_Edward … _her heart cried out for him as she traveled farther and farther away.

- - -

Perversely, as soon as Esme left with his note, Edward began to burn to see Bella again. _This is ridiculous! You just saw her and you saw her perfectly happy with someone else!_ That didn't matter though. He had fought his addiction to his beautiful Bella for more than a month, a month without seeing her, without hearing her voice, and one glance while she was in another man's arms was not enough.

He edged toward the path down which Esme had exited almost without noticing he was doing so. _This is hopeless! You're only causing yourself more pain! _But another, stronger part of him chimed in, _Just one more look tonight. She'll surely go to sleep soon, I could just see her._

The image was too tempting to resist. _I won't do anything else. Just check on her while she's sleeping._ He almost scoffed at himself. 'Check on her.' Right. Like _he_ could ever provide some sort of safety for Bella.

But the urge was too much. He sat back at his organ, fingers almost dancing with the idea of seeing Bella again. He tried to pull back the excitement, tried to remind himself that he had lost her forever, but after going so long without her, anything that brought him closer was something to look forward to, even if she still wasn't his.

He managed to wait for all of 15 minutes, knowing that they would want to discuss his note before anyone went to sleep. His heart panged with the thought of Bella huddled in that boy's arms, scared of him. The knowledge that she _should_ be scared of him was not reassuring. Finally he bounced up, and left his caves at a near run. He ignored the voice in his head that told him that he was pathetic and ridiculous and focused on being silent. First he would return to the ballroom to see if they were still discussing his note.

It was luck and the fact that all of his senses were acutely tuned to Bella that he noticed her fresh scent trailing away from the ballroom. He halted and paid more attention. Strange, it wasn't headed toward her bedroom. Where was Bella going at this hour of the night? And why was she going there alone? He turned around and followed her trail.

When he reached the door to the stables, he had an idea of where she was headed. His excitement to see her dimmed as he imagined his Bella so distraught that she couldn't even be in the opera house anymore. Then he frowned. Did she really intend to go out by herself in the middle of the night? There were things worse than him out there!

He swung the door open silently just in time to hear Bella say, "Will you take me to the cemetery?" Her voice rang in his ears and he leaned back against the doorway, struck by the way it hit him. God he missed her so much … needed her so much.

He felt possessed by the power of her voice. He didn't even stop to think about his actions. Bella left to get something warm on and Edward swept toward the driver.

A twinge of regret panged through him as he hit the man on the head, but he couldn't even begin to stop himself. He had to go through with this. Had to be near her. The man dropped to the floor like a stone and Edward caught him with distaste. He stank of cheap alcohol. And Bella had been planning to trust this man to drive her?

Edward moved quickly to hitch up two horses, knowing that if he weren't finished when Bella returned, he would run the risk of her realizing that he was not the drunk man who had greeted her. He thanked god that he had chosen to pull on a cloak with a hood over his garish Red Death costume from earlier tonight. He pulled the hood over his hair just as he heard Bella's footsteps coming toward him.

Her very presence was like a balm to his heart. Aches he hadn't even known were hurting healed just because she was there. He didn't turn, didn't want to risk her noticing that he was not the half-drunk idiot she had intended to drive her, but knowing that he could not didn't quench the urge.

The need to see her was fierce, sharper than the omnipresent longing for her blood. He fixed his eyes determinedly forward and dug his nails into his palms, trying to distract himself. Bella whispered from behind him, "To the cemetery please. You can leave me at the gate."

He didn't reply. She would know his voice. Instead, he flicked the reins and they were off, on their painfully slow way to her father's grave.

It wasn't a particularly long ride, but it felt like it took forever to Edward. For the first ten minutes, he simply drifted in a haze of Bella's warmth, presence, scent. Then his logical side kicked in. _What are you doing?! _His rational side picked at him for the next ten minutes, asking the questions that he didn't want to think about. _What exactly are you intending to do? She wanted to be alone and what did you do? You knocked someone out!_

In response, Edward's impulsive side chose to pretend the thoughts weren't there by focusing intently on the sound of Bella's breath and heartbeat. With this internal battle raging, they finally pulled up to the cemetery.

He halted the carriage and hesitated. Now he came to the point where he hadn't made any plans. Was he going to sit here and wait for her to return? Would that even work, or would she expect him to say something to her? If he could, he would have been sweating with the tension of the whole situation.

Bella was completely oblivious. She descended from the carriage by herself, eyes fixed on the familiar wrought iron gates to the cemetery that held her parents' graves. She murmured, "Thank you" to the carriage driver who had already been forgotten and stepped forward.

Snow coated the ground, making the whole area seem otherworldly. She passed the gates and entered the cemetery, then drew in a quick breath at the effect of the weather and night on the familiar area. A haze of fog made it impossible to see more than ten feet in front of her and the snow painted away every flaw. She was left with a heaven of stone angels and frozen memories.

She walked toward her parents' grave slowly, the impact of where she had chosen to go finally hitting her. When she had left the Opera Populaire and when she had boarded that carriage, her only intent was to get away. She hadn't left much time to think about where she was going.

Now, faced with the reality of stark gravestones floating up through the haze, she realized that this melancholy place was not going to do anything for her mood. Not as though it mattered anymore. It was too late for second thoughts. She was here now.

Then the familiar crypt appeared as if by magic through the haze. Her eyes traced the letters they had already seen a hundred times. "Renée and Charles Swan" She could barely read the rest of the writing on the icy stone, as her gaze grew blurry through tears and she was suddenly struck with a fierce longing for a simpler time.

She wished in that instant with all of her heart that somehow things could be different. That her parents could have lived, however imperfect they may have been. They were her parents, they had kept the rest of the world at bay and she hadn't realized how much she missed that until the weight of the world came crashing down on her.

Her voice sounded so thin and delicate when she spoke that she didn't even recognize that she was the one speaking for a moment. "Charlie, you promised me. You promised me that you would send me an Angel of Music to watch over me. And you were right! I got my angel!"

Her words became louder and louder, more hysterical. She felt something warm on her face and reached up to brush it away to discover a tear on her finger. "But I messed it up Charlie … Dad. I think I ruined everything. For both of them."

She felt the familiar burning sensation in her eyes that accompanied tears. She remembered the look on Edward's face when he found out that she had kissed Jacob. She remembered the flawless script on that note, "Forgive me." She realized that Jake was invested in this too; she couldn't just walk away from him either without causing pain.

Her legs were unable to support her. It had been such a long day and she was so alone. There in that isolated cemetery, surrounded by ice and stone, it was as if she were the only person in the world.

And then she felt something on her shoulder. She shut her eyes tightly. Was she going insane? Because she knew who was behind that touch, that tentative, tingling, perfect touch. And if she was imagining this, if she had lost her mind, then she didn't want to do anything to break the spell.

"Bella?"

She gasped in a breath and winced when the icy air hit her lungs like a knife. But at least that proved she wasn't dreaming. She kept her eyes clenched shut, though, begging the angelic voice to say something else, for the hand not to move. Whether or not she was hallucinating, she didn't want to lose this moment.

"Bella, are you alright?"

The hand on her shoulder shifted, grasping her arm while his other hand took her other arm and he hauled her up from where she was kneeling in the snow. He turned her so that she was facing him, but Bella still refused to open her eyes. What if she was imagining the voice and this was really just a stranger who was worried she had frozen? She wasn't sure she would be able to bear it.

"Bella, open your eyes." The hands hadn't dropped from her arms and Bella could smell him, practically taste him on the air. Every nerve in her body felt like it was trembling and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start laughing or crying. Either seemed equally possible.

The hands moved on her arms, trying to warm her skin through friction since he couldn't with body heat. "Bella, come on!" There was an edge of panic in the voice now and it was that panicked fear that made Bella finally look at him, as if on instinct. He was worried that she wasn't responding and she had to assuage any of his worries that she possibly could.

She found herself staring up into endless amber eyes boring into her own. She felt lightheaded and thought she might have sunk back onto the ground if he hadn't been holding her up.

"Edward." His name sounded flawless on her lips. She savored the sound of the syllables, the taste of his name in her mouth. It had been so long since she had last said his name aloud.

Concern colored his eyes. "Oh, Bella, thank god. I wasn't going to disturb you, but when you collapsed … I was so scared." His voice sounded hoarse, if that was possible. There was residual fear in it.

She just watched him as if in a dream world. She was right back to that intense moment earlier this evening, when their eyes had met in the ballroom. Except this time there was no Jacob to destroy it. Even thinking of Jacob made her let out a gasping sob.

"Oh, Edward!" She cried and made her legs move that extra step so that she was standing in his arms. Her voice was broken as she struggled to speak through tears. "I'm s-so-so sorry." It was little more than a whisper, but she knew he heard it because he stopped standing there and letting her cling to him and began to cling back. He wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips over her hair.

"Bella, Bella, Bella." He murmured, her voice a prayer on his lips. Bella was trembling violently, but as she remained in his embrace, the hysteria died down slowly. Soon they were standing in silence, content to simply hold one another for this moment.

Edward had never felt anything more perfect than Bella cradled in his arms. He reveled in her warmth, in the way her curves pressed against him, in her very presence. But then he slowly became aware of the way she was shivering, no longer out of emotion, but out of cold.

He made to draw back slightly, but her heart raced and she turned her face up to his in protest. "Bella, you're cold." He said, softly. There was nothing he would like more than to hold her for hours and hours, maybe days, but she was human and he was not helping her stay warm in this freezing night.

"I don't care." She cried, keeping her arms wrapped around him. "I just need you."

His resistance weakened at that, despite the way she continued to shiver. "Oh, Bella." He breathed, trying to absorb every element of this moment. The way she looked in his embrace, the sound of her heartbeat, the feel of her pressed against him, her irresistible scent on the air. He had never been further from his blood-lust.

She drew back slightly, but only enough so that they could see one another's eyes. For an endless moment, it was only the two of them, alone in the world, melting into each other's eyes. Then Bella let out a desperate moan and at the same moment, Edward gave into his eternal longing for more and their lips met.

It was too much. Too hard, too rough, too intense. There was an edge to the way their mouths moved together, desperation in the way they clutched on to one another. They had been ripped apart once and they knew that it could happen again all too easily.

Edward knew he ought to draw back, that she needed to breath, that he was going to bruise her, but he simply could not bring himself to do anything more than shift his mouth from hers to the rest of her face. Her cheeks, her eyes, her nose. His lips brushed her entire face, memorizing her in case he never got the chance to do so again. Then he noticed the way she was tugging on his hair and followed her demands to return to her mouth.

He pulled away after another long moment because they needed to talk. He took deep breaths, fighting off the urge to just kiss her again. They needed more than a physical connection.

"Bella," he began, ready to try and convince her to return to the opera house with him. They needed to talk, but she needed to warm up first. She was looking positively blue. "We need to …"

Then he was interrupted. Sharply, harshly interrupted by the last mind he wanted to hear at that moment.

Jacob Black's.

"Damn it!" He swore. Bella was still looking dazed. Edward would like to imagine it was from his kissing prowess, but he worried that it was just because she was about to catch hypothermia.

He examined his options swiftly. He could stay here and face some sort of ridiculous challenge from _that boy_. But then Bella would remain in the cold and snow for longer and she was practically iced over already.

Or he could leave despite the way his heart rebelled at the very concept. He could leave Bella here for the _boy_ to find, who would take her back to the opera house where she could warm up.

He wanted to cry out in frustration. He wanted to hurt that _boy_ who was galloping in on a white horse like Prince Charming and reminding Edward that the princess was not supposed to end up with the monster. He wanted to keep Bella here in his arms forever.

"Edward, what is it?" Bella asked, finally having come to her senses enough to realize that Edward was in a state of turmoil. The words barely came out through her chattering teeth.

Edward let out a quiet growl, and then fought back every instinct he had that demanded he stay and fight off the _boy_ who wanted his Bella. He pressed a rough, swift kiss to her lips, a kiss that spoke of desperation and heartbreak.

"We're going to talk Bella. I swear that to you. I can't leave you alone anymore, even though I know it would be better for you." Bella let out a breath, possibly in relief. "But we can't talk right now because …" But then the clatter of horses' hooves became audible even to her ears and she turned slightly in his arms.

She couldn't see anything through the fog, but she knew what was happening anyway. Jacob was here.

Edward groaned in frustration and fury. "Bella …" He kissed her one last time, fiercely, and then was gone.

Bella twirled around, looking wildly around to try and find him again. "No!" She whimpered, her breath gasping through her shivers. _Not again!_

But before she could panic too much, Jacob appeared through the fog. "Bells!" He cried. "Bella, who the hell was that?"

He was directly before her now and holding on to her shoulders in the same way that Edward had done. She almost began sobbing again at the contrast.

Jake was distracted by the temperature of her skin. "Bella you're freezing!" He sounded scared, but Bella couldn't truly register his emotion. She was too lost in her new memories of Edward. They were going to talk. By focusing on that, she didn't need anything else.

- - -

When Bella fled from the ballroom, Jacob had understood. It was a lot of pressure for one night, to be faced with such horrors again. He didn't think that he would ever completely understand what had happened between her and this Edward while she had disappeared, but he knew that it had affected her ever since.

It was completely understandable that she couldn't deal with all the argument and debate while she was still reeling from seeing that monster again. The insane man who claimed to be the "Opera Ghost" and "Phantom of the Opera."

So he had given her space. He hadn't gone chasing after her immediately, but rather discussed things with Quin and Embré for a while. They hadn't decided much, only that they were all much too tired to be dealing with it tonight. The discussion postponed for the next morning, Jacob had then set off to find Bella.

He thought she would be in her room. When she wasn't there, he began to worry a little. But it was only when he had checked all her usual places and enlisted the help of Emmett, Rose, and Madame Hale that he actually began to panic. What if Edward had taken her again?

Rose was the one who suggested the cemetery. The idea seemed like a good one to him, who was desperate for anything that even resembled a good idea. Then he had gone out to the stables and found the carriage missing, and it became a fantastic idea.

He rode out as quickly as he physically could. While he knew that she couldn't be in Edward's hands, he was worried by how cold it was outside. Why on earth would she choose this moment to go visit?

He knew the answer to that question, to get away from the opera house, but that wasn't a satisfactory response as he raced through the biting wind to reach the cemetery.

When he found Bella there, he was glad that he hadn't slowed down after realizing that Edward hadn't captured her because he found her in someone's arms. Jake's jaw dropped in horror, but then he blinked and the figure who had been cradling Bella in his arms was gone.

Jake leapt from his horse and immediately demanded to know who had been holding _his_ Bella. Not that he didn't have a likely suspect. _Edward. _ But then he put his hands on her and was distracted. She was practically frozen!

He lifted her up tenderly onto his horse, terrified by her violent shivers. "Sh, sh, Bella, it's going to be alright. I've got you."

He kicked his horse into a speedy pace, carrying Bella back to warmth and to the opera house. _Where, _he vowed to himself,_ we're going to get some answers and end this once and for all._

_

* * *

_**A/N: **And there you have it! Sure, sure it was a truncated reunion, but it was something, huh? :-) You better reward the nice writer for giving you what you wanted (Bella and Edward saw each other again. And kissed. Multiple times!) You know exactly how to reward me, I will prostitute my writing self for reviews. ;-) The next chapter will be up on Sunday at the latest ... I would say earlier, but I have an SAT on Saturday ... possibly my last one! I just had to share my joy with you all.

Once again, eternal thanks to my readers and reviewers. Every single notice I get from , whether a story alert, favorite, or (the best) review, brightens up my day. I adore the ranting, raving reviews that you care about my characters just as much as I do, but even the simple, couple of word reviews make me so happy that someone was affected enough to leave a message. :-) Love you all!

**Next Time: **Jacob makes a plan and _Don Juan _is back on. But rehearsals aren't exactly going well ...


	20. Plans and Rehearsals

**Previously:** Bella went to her parent's graves and reunited with Edward. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by Jacob. Edward told Bella that they were going to talk. Much earlier, Edward gave the Opera Populaire his opera, _Don Juan Triumphant_ and demanded that they perform it.

**Music Note:** Okay, the part with Jacob and the managers is from the middle of _Notes/Twisted Every Way_ in the musical soundtrack and _We Have All Been Blind_ from the extended movie soundtrack. Then the last rehearsal part is from the middle/end of _Notes/Twisted Every Way_ in the musical soundtrack.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 19**

**Plans and Rehearsals**

The ride back from the cemetery seemed shorter than the ride there had been. Perhaps this was because the whole world seemed rather blurred to Bella after what had happened with Edward. Perhaps it was simply because she was about to freeze and the extreme temperature was making her feel lost.

Either way, before she knew it, Jacob was helping her down from his horse and asking if she could walk well enough to make it to her room, or if she would prefer that he carry her.

Bella was trying to figure out why he had completely dropped the subject of who had been holding her in the cemetery. Her mind was working rather sluggishly at the moment, but she had enough logic left to realize that something was off if Jake wasn't asking about something he'd been so adamant about when he first saw her.

It made her wonder if she really was in critical condition from the temperature. If she was about to die of hypothermia, perhaps that would explain Jacob's utter lack of questions about the way he had found her. Saving her life would probably come first.

In any case, she was content to let the subject lie. Maybe if they didn't talk about it, he would convince himself that he hadn't seen anything, that it had been a trick of the fog and darkness.

Probably not, but a girl could dream.

By this time, Bella was shuffling alongside Jacob, having denied that she was so weak as to require being carried to bed, but unable to dissuade him from accompanying her. The corset of her dress was becoming highly uncomfortable, and its tightness served to remind her of the very long day she had just experienced.

She felt buoyant when she remembered how she had felt that morning, listless and barely able to comprehend attending a party and starting a new year without Edward. Now look where she found herself! She had seen and touched Edward, read his music, and was expecting another visit from him soon where they would talk.

And in that talk, she would tell him exactly why he could never leave her again and she would never leave him again. Why this time they had to be together. That she had been a fool for thinking that anything was worth separating from him for.

She felt like dancing, but her worn-out body protested the idea.

Her body was overjoyed to reach her room and her mind seconded the happiness when she thought of leaving Jake and to talk to Edward.

_Surely he'll come tonight. He can't wait until later. We'll talk tonight as soon as Jake leaves. And maybe I could even go down to his home! _Her thoughts were hardly dampened at all by the way her body continued to shiver.

Jacob spoke the first words to her that he had said since the stables when they reached her door. "Bella, get some sleep. I'm going to send Esme to check on you as soon as I can find her and I'll find you something warm to drink as well."

Bella tried to wave off his concern, fearing that having things sent to her would delay Edward's visit even longer. "Oh, d-don't worry about m-me Jake!" Her chattering teeth betrayed her, so she decided that she should stop talking.

Jacob frowned at her and turned slightly to get to his errands, then turned back with an almost frantic look in his eyes. "Bella … just …"

He grabbed onto her suddenly, and Bella winced at the contrast between Edward and Jacob. But then the issues her mind had with Jacob's embrace faded away as she realized just how warm he was. She could feel his heat seeping into her bones and she couldn't bring herself to pull away, even though she knew that she should.

He let her go just as quickly as he had seized her, looking torn. "I'm going to get food and Esme. You're so cold! Go get under some blankets now." He barked out orders as he turned and took off down a hallway at a jog. Bella sighed and opened her door, hating how complicated this was.

Her bed looked more inviting than it ever had and her body's needs won out over everything else for a moment as she rushed toward it and stripped off her uncomfortable dress. Buried in the covers, her mind was able to direct her gaze unstoppably to the mirror at the back of the room.

Her body was warming up the blankets and her pillow was so soft. She drifted off to sleep before she could even realize what was happening, lulled away by the vivid memories of that lullaby Edward had played her on that magic night a month ago.

_Edward!_ Her mind was exultant, overwhelmed with the joy of having him again, having another chance.

- - -

A large part of Jacob wanted nothing more than to turn around and sit by Bella's bedside until morning. Part of him never wanted to let her out of his sight again. Look what had happened last time he had let her have a moment to herself! The more rational part realized that there were other things he had to take care of in order to make sure that Bella would be safe.

He had thought that this Edward was a dream or imagination in the beginning. The "angel of music." Childish and silly nonsense. Then he had realized after _Il Muto_ that Edward was a real and dangerous creature. But he, like Quin and Embré, was soon convinced that the Phantom was gone for good.

Now he was apparently back. And this time, there weren't going to be any assumptions made with Bella's safety. This time, they were going to take care of Edward once and for all. And when they had captured him, Jacob had a couple of questions for the man … questions that might very well be accompanied by a few hard punches to the gut.

Jacob almost snarled, recalling the way that Edward had held Bella in the cemetery. _This is going to be the end of it._

Those thoughts carried him through the opera house as he swept around to find Esme and tell her a brief summary of what had happened. Esme looked grim when he told her the story, and then was off in a fit of maternal instinct.

"I'll get her something warm. Are you sure we don't need to call a doctor?" Her face was clear of anything except worry, but that was probably only because Jacob hadn't told her about who he had found Bella with. He wasn't particularly inclined to trust Esme with much more than Bella's basic needs anymore.

After all, she was the one who had carried Edward's latest note to them. That certainly hadn't slipped past his notice. She knew more that she had said and he wasn't going to reveal all of his secrets until she started revealing some of her own.

Knowing that Bella was in good hands, no matter how linked those hands might be to Edward, Jacob was ready to continue on to the next part of his mission. He was off to the managers' office.

Jacob didn't bother knocking when he reached Quin and Embré's door. Instead, he flung it open and marched inside to see the two men sitting in their chairs and looking rather pathetic. They obviously had no idea what they were supposed to do, faced with the Opera Ghost's demands and Bella's refusal to act in his opera.

For a moment, Jacob dwelt on the terrible circumstances Bella was in. She must have refused to play the part in the opera because she had realized what Edward was capable of, as he proved when he followed her to the cemetery. She was terrified that he would take her away again.

What he must have prevented! Surely, if he hadn't been there, Edward would have taken Bella away again. Jake shivered at the thought and was even more resolute to end the monster's reign once and for all.

Quin and Embré looked up at him hopelessly, opposite of his own triumphant feelings. Quin was the first to speak. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We have been blind to not think of it from the beginning. The answer is staring us in the face." Jacob said, pulling a chair over to face their desks. His eyes were bright with malice toward Edward and excitement to have a plan.

The two managers glanced at each other and then leaned forward to listen more closely, encouraged by Jake's determination. He obviously knew what he was doing.

"We're listening." Embré said, while Quin spoke over him to say, "Go on!"

Jacob picked up the score of the opera, which was sitting on the manager's desk. He traced the writing on the front cover that pronounced _Don Juan Triumphant_. "We'll play his game. We'll perform his …" He flipped through the pages and grimaced at the mess of notes, "work."

Embré and Quin looked skeptical. They had already considered this idea of folding to the Opera Ghost and it wasn't really a plan as they would think of one.

Jacob kept speaking, oblivious to their doubts. "But, remember that we hold the ace." He looked up at them, placing the opera back down. "Because the one thing I do know about this 'Opera Ghost' is that he cannot resist Bella Swan. And if she sings his opera, he will come to watch. There is no doubt about that."

Quin was beginning to catch on, and the idea was so simple that he wondered why they had never thought of it before. To bring in police … to capture this murderer and madman before he could do anymore harm … to turn the tables on him … it sounded very promising.

Embré still wasn't sure where Jake was going with this. "So what?" He asked, "And didn't you hear Bella's response to that idea? She already said no."

Jake shook his head and stood up again, pacing the room. "So, when we begin the show, his opera, we make certain the doors are barred. We make certain the guards are armed."

Quin broke in. "We make certain the police are there."

Jake nodded fervently. "Indeed. The curtain falls on his opera and the curtain falls on his reign in this opera house. We catch him and we end him once and for all."

There was a moment of silence as they contemplated the end of this menace that had been haunting them since they arrived at the opera house. Embré was the one to break their reverie over such a simple and perfect plan.

"But what about Mademoiselle Swan? She doesn't want to be involved in this opera." He winced away from Jake's glare at the element of complaint in his voice. "I'm not criticizing her! It's perfectly understandable not to want to be part of this travesty, but it does cause a problem for your plan."

Jake relaxed back in his seat, seemingly unconcerned. "The reason that Bella didn't want to be part of this opera was that she feared being taken away by him again. We will not allow that to happen. We'll leave box five open for him, as he's always demanding, and then we'll put guards and police everywhere around him. He only claims to be a ghost. In reality, he's a man who will fall to a bullet as easily as anyone else."

Light shone in Jake's eyes at the idea of Edward gone forever. _Bella will be mine and I will propose and marry her. And we will be rid of this nightmare for the rest of our lives._

- - -

Bella awoke disoriented. She sat up in her bed as the memories of the previous night flooded back into her mind. "Edward." She whispered, under her breath.

Where was he? She had been so sure that he was coming to her tonight! _What if he isn't planning on coming at all?_ She clutched the covers of her bed in her hands, knuckles turning white with the sudden rush of panic. What if she had misunderstood? What if her betrayal really had been enough to drive him away forever? Oh god, what if she had imagined everything that had happened the night before?

She curled her knees up toward her chest at the thought, which hit her like she had been stabbed. Meeting Edward at her parents' grave couldn't have been a dream because she would collapse if it were.

Determined not to think about the possibility anymore, she tried to think of another option for why Edward hadn't come to her. _Maybe he did, but I was asleep and he didn't want to wake me._ She cursed herself at the thought. That sounded like him. He wouldn't have wanted to disturb her.

Why hadn't she been able to stay awake last night? She dropped the covers and curled her hands into fists, pressing her nails to her palms in anger at her own _human_ weaknesses. She closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed and forced herself to let it go. If that was true, then it only meant that he would come again tonight, and this time she would certainly not be sleeping.

She was about to get up and dress for the day, when someone knocked at her door. She frowned, hoping that it wasn't Jake. _Poor Jake._ She hadn't even spared him a thought since she had woken up. But while already angry with herself over falling asleep on Edward, she couldn't bear to further curse herself for what she was doing to Jacob.

Whoever it was rapped on the door again, impatiently, and then a voice came from the hall. "Bella, wake up! It's nearly noon and Quin and Embré have made all sorts of announcements. Mom told me not to bother you, but I simply cannot wait any longer!"

Rose was still talking as she opened the door and stepped into the room. "Oh good, you're awake."

Bella's dark thoughts wouldn't last long against Rose's bright mood, she could already tell. Bella let out one more sigh for Edward, whom she wouldn't be seeing for at least another six hours, and then turned her full focus to Rosalie. This wasn't exactly a difficult thing to do, Rose always lived in the spotlight, but right now it was as if she was glowing from the inside out.

Bella watched her for a long moment, puzzled at her demeanor. There was a huge smile on Rose's face and she was practically dancing around the room. "Come on, what are you doing still in bed? You need to get up!" Rose cried, going to her dresser and pulling out clothes.

Bella still hadn't had a chance to get a word in while Rose kept talking. "Oh, Bella, this dress is so pretty! Why don't you ever wear it?" Bella craned her neck to see what Rose was referring to and almost laughed when she saw the low-cut, ruby red dress. Of course that would be Rose's favorite.

"Rose, what's going on?" She asked, interrupting her as she began to wax poetic about the tailoring of the dress. Rosalie seemed to have been waiting for that exact question because she responded by throwing down the dress and sitting down on Bella's bed, her face a whirl of excitement.

"Bella, everything in the world is going right, that is what's going on!" She drew in a deep breath and then continued, "Emmett and I … last night … oh!" She reached out and grabbed Bella's hand in joy.

Bella was swept away by her friend's happiness. "What happened?" She asked, already having a good idea. She was just concerned that they had gone too far. "Tell me you didn't …" Her voice trailed off quietly. Rose looked scandalized, which reassured Bella greatly.

"Of course not! I wouldn't, and especially not after what happened with … you know who." Bella flinched a little from the oblique reference to Edward, but then remembered that he was returning to her. They had kissed and they were going to talk. She gestured for Rose to go on.

"We kissed Bella! And …" Rose's voice dropped to a whisper, as though someone would burst into the room, "and it was unbelievable. I mean, it certainly wasn't the first time I've kissed someone but …"

Bella remembered the kiss that she had shared with Edward last night … _well, kisses._ And their first kiss, both of them, from a month ago. She sighed in complete understanding of Rose's sentiments.

"And then this morning," Rose continued, back with the earlier pep in her voice, "this morning, Quin and Embré told me that …"

Then she broke off and looked at Bella for a moment, with her eyes wide with something like embarrassment. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry … I completely forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Bella asked, worried by the tone in Rose's voice.

"This morning, Quin and Embré announced that we were going to perform _Don Juan Triumphant_." Rose's voice was hushed again, anticipating that Bella was not going to be overjoyed with this news.

There was silence for a long moment. Then Bella began, hesitantly, "They intend to have Jessica play the lead role? Edw- I mean, the Phantom won't be happy with that."

Rose stared at her, confused. "No, they intend to have you play the lead role."

There was another beat of silence. "I told them that I wouldn't sing it." Her voice was quiet, as she stared down at her hands. Then she looked up at Rose and she became more emphatic. "I told them that I can not sing it."

Bella's mind flashed back to the missing song. That entire opera without that song, their song, would be a reminder of how thoroughly she had betrayed Edward. She winced at the thought.

They just sat and stared at one another for a moment until Rose said, "Bella, they told me that I would be the prima ballerina in it." She watched her hands and then looked up at Bella earnestly. "I don't know everything that's happened between you two, but please, please just sing in his opera."

Bella wanted to congratulate Rose on her achievement, she had wanted to be the lead dancer in an opera for as long as Bella had been at the opera house, but she was held back by the opera she was planning to star in. "Rose, I …" She trailed off again.

Would it really be so bad to sing in this opera? Even without _All I Ask of You_ … it was Edward's music. And now, after seeing him again, kissing him, talking to him ... there really was no other option. She needed the connection to him, any connection, too badly to refuse the part again. She met Rose's eyes. "I'll sing it."

Rose jumped up in joy again. "Oh, thank you! I knew you would in the end! Now get dressed, they're starting rehearsals _today_ and the premier is in just three weeks."

- - -

_This is horrible._

Bella sunk down at the side of the stage, giving in to the sheer, overwhelmed exhaustion and frustration that had been building up in her for three hours now. Three hours in which she had practically memorized Edward's entire opera. Three hours in which she had not sung so much as a note.

Monsieur Claireau obviously had no idea where to even start to rehearse the very difficult opera, and therefore had chosen to begin at the beginning. The chorus had gone over the … she hesitated to call it an overture, because the entire opera was so unlike anything else she had ever seen, that it could hardly conform to the ordinary terms of music. After giving up on getting that together anytime today, they had moved on to the entrance of Don Juan, played by Michael.

They had been going over the same line for the past fifteen minutes.

Bella was now finished singing her entire part in her head. She thought vaguely about beginning to work on memorizing lyrics, but instead had decided to sit and watch the rehearsal for a moment.

She was regretting that decision heartily. When she was reading over the opera, she had completely lost herself in the music and the dark story, able to basically ignore the cacophony of sound coming from the main stage. Now, she was hard-pressed not to cover her ears against the discordant notes.

This was _not_ what it was supposed to sound like. Bella looked over at the other performers for a moment and then looked down at her part again. The notes blurred together as she worried about the tense situation forming on stage.

Monsieur Claireau was attempting to correct Michael's pathetic attempts to sing his entrance. "Signor Michael, _here_ is the phrase." He sang along as he hit notes on the piano with unnecessary emphasis. "Those who _tan_gle with Don Juan!" He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "If you please, sir."

Michael looked like he was about to march out of the opera house entirely. "Ah, those who tangle with Don Juan!"

Bella let her head drop into her hands. It was the exact same way he had sung it five times before. If their _director_ was about to go out of his mind with Michael's insistence on changing the melody, she didn't know what _she_ was about to do. She did know that it was going to be violent though. She could _hear_ what Edward wanted to produce and these idiots were failing miserably.

"No!" Monsieur Claireau looked like he was about to burst into tears. "Those who _tan, tan, tan_! Please!"

The other performers were beginning to mutter darkly in the background. Some complained about Michael's inability to alter his performance, others about the sheer brutality of the opera.

Bella looked down at her part again and was forced to agree with both sentiments. The opera was incredibly, heart-breakingly beautiful, of course – it was Edward's music, after all – but it was also not particularly easy to sing.

She winced at the thought of Edward's mindset as he had written this dark piece. It starred a corrupt man, Don Juan, who seduced an innocent girl, whom he eventually fell in love with, but the lovers were ultimately ripped apart as Don Juan was cast into hell for his sins.

Bella was fighting back tears at the ending. _Edward, is this really how you think? How you imagine yourself?_ The idea that Edward, her Angel of Music, saw himself as Don Juan and that he deserved nothing but hell was incredibly painful.

The scene on stage had not improved. Jessica spoke up to defend Michael. "His way of singing it is better! At least he makes it sound like music." She glared at her own part in disgust and threw it down to the floor.

Esme, who had been watching the proceedings from the side of the stage, came on to interrupt them, obviously having as little taste for the whole matter as Bella did. "Signora, would you speak that way in the presence of the composer?" She sounded as if she was holding back from slapping Jessica.

Bella was struck by Esme's words and suddenly looked around them. Now that Esme mentioned it … she had that tingling _awareness_ that she only got when Edward was near.

Jessica protested, "The composer is not here! And if he were I would tell him –"

Esme cut her off. "Are you certain of that?"

Her foreboding tone had everyone glancing around the theater. Bella breathed deeply and shut her eyes. _Tonight … tonight._

Monsieur Claireau broke the silence. "Alright then, can I have everyone, from bar seven please? Let's really try this time." There was an edge of nervousness in his voice that hadn't been present before.

He flourished his baton and everyone began to sing, but the sudden onset of fear that the Phantom of the Opera was watching only made the resulting chaos worse.

Bella pressed her hands to her ears, unable to bear much more and cringing away from the wrong notes. It was physically painful to listen to.

Then she quickly removed her hands when she heard Edward's voice booming through the theater. "Mesdames and Messieurs. If you do not focus on my music and learn to sing the correct notes, there will be consequences." Everyone could hear the threat in his tone. Bella only hoped that he wasn't as deadly serious as he sounded.

Silence had flooded the room from Edward's first word. Everyone was on their feet, eyes flitting around the room, fear practically tangible. "So, I would recommend that you _practice_!"

There was a beat of absolute silence before everyone broke out into noisy outcries. Bella looked down at her part again, feeling dizzy and flushed merely from hearing Edward's voice. _Tonight. _She promised herself. _Tonight._

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Hmm ... today isn't Sunday. Oops. :-/ ... well, it could be worse, huh? I mean, here you are with an update in your hands and another one on its way on Sunday (whoa, deja vu! This time it's actually happening though!) It's actually a miracle this is out at all, I have finals all week ... ick, but that does mean that school is over on Friday!

I loved all your reactions to last chapter. The death threats to Jake were kind of scary! ;-) Don't worry, next chapter I will officially make up for what Jake interrupted. Oh, one other thing ... someone mentioned James in a review and I wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about him ... ;-) Thank you so much for all the reviews, and I would be overjoyed if you would review this one as well! I check my e-mail obsessively and review alerts are the most amazing thing in the world to receive ... not to mention they make me write and update!

**Next Time: **Bella and Edward talk, a certain someone makes a long awaited return, and Edward drops off one more note.


	21. Setting the Stage

**Previously: **Bella and Edward met in the cemetery and Edward promised to come again later. _Don Juan Triumphant _is on and Bella is the star.

**Music Note: **I have nothing for you guys. This chapter is going to have to go music-less. Next time!

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 20**

**Setting the Stage**

Bella perched on the edge of her bed and twisted the hem of her dress between her fingers. She examined the red fabric that Rose had talked her into wearing that morning and wondered again if she ought to change into something … else. Not that she had any idea what one was supposed to wear to reunite with the man of their dreams, but she didn't feel like the dress she had worn all day was enough.

But she couldn't even think of putting on different clothes. What if he came while she was changing? And then what if he thought she was changing for bed and didn't come to talk to her? She let out a loud sigh and shifted on the bed, beginning to tap out a rhythm on her leg.

She wasn't sure what time it was, but it felt as if she had been sitting here forever. When was Edward going to come? She resisted the thought that he might not come at all. _I can't think that. I can't start._

Another five minutes passed while she tried to hold perfectly still instead of fidgeting. It was useless. She stood up and then collapsed onto her bed again, burying her face in a pillow and letting out a cry of frustration that was muffled by the fabric. She couldn't take much more today.

After Edward had left the rehearsal, Monsieur Claireau had struggled on with practice for another hour before finally giving up. Bella still hadn't sung a single word of Edward's brilliant work.

She had hung around with Rose and Emmett for a while, but their conversations about the 'Opera Ghost' and the way they both looked at each other, which seemed to beg for some alone time, made Bella retreat to her own room before long.

Now, she had been sitting in her room for at least an hour, utterly incapable of doing anything except waiting for Edward. She had tried reading, but couldn't process a single word. She had tried singing, but her voice was weak and cracked repeatedly.

Frustrated, Bella dug her fingers into her hair and brushed it back, "Oops!" She said, startled when she remembered that Rose had done up her hair this morning with a multitude of pins. Now she was left with a cascade of curls that had escaped her hairstyle and a handful of pins. She stared at herself in the mirror, as if she could make her reflection change to Edward's face by sheer force of will.

She placed the pins down on her dresser and sighed, sitting back on her bed. She forcibly turned her head away from the mirror and stared at her fingers with determination. She was not going to keep watching for him. He would come whether she was staring into the mirror or not.

Ten minutes later, she gave up and risked a peek up into the mirror. She let out a squeak of joy and surprise when she found that glass of the mirror was gone and instead Edward was standing there.

"Edward!" She jumped up from the bed and sped through the steps toward him until they were a mere foot apart. Edward hadn't spoken and was looking conflicted.

Bella frowned, terrified of the look in his eyes, a look that might mean, 'I'm going to leave you for your own good again.' At the very thought of such a thing, Bella could feel her eyes begin to burn and her gaze became blurred. She blinked back the unwelcome tears with violence.

"Edward?" She asked, her voice now just a tentative whisper. "Edward, can we please talk?"

He had been staring at the ground, but at the note of pleading in her voice, his eyes shot up to meet hers. "Oh, Bella." The tears shot back up into her eyes at the tortured tone of his voice. He sounded like he was about to be torn in two. "Bella, you deserve so much more than I can ever give you." His voice was a hoarse whisper, like hers had become.

Alarmed by this course of the conversation, Bella wanted to grab onto Edward, pull him toward her and away from these thoughts, but something held her back from it. Somehow, she couldn't cross the invisible line that was once the glass of her mirror.

"But … but Edward." Her voice was barely audible. "You're all that I want, all that I ever wanted and I'm so-so s-s-sorry for e-everything." By the end, her voice had broken multiple times and the tears in her eyes were threatening to spill onto her cheeks. Edward looked split between wanting to comfort her and wanting to hear what she was saying. "I've been terrible and I've let you down and I've – I've betrayed you and you think _you're_ not good enough for _me_?"

"Bella." For one long moment there was absolute silence, broken only by Bella's shuddering breaths. Then Edward stepped fully into the room. "Come here." He opened his arms for her and Bella crushed herself to him, reveling in his rock hard strength. She was so secure when he was holding her.

"Sh," Edward urged, but she wasn't even on the verge of tears anymore. She was too happy to cry. "Calm down sweetheart." Bella struggled to even out her breath.

They stayed in that embrace for a series of long minutes. There was no one to interrupt them, nothing to rush them to the things they had to discuss, simply them.

Edward was the first to speak, but when he did, it was in quiet, calming tones, finally a response to what she had said earlier. "You did not betray me Bella. If you want to leave, then you can do so and it is not a betrayal."

Bella let out a wild sound of protest at the thought, and Edward responded by pressing her even more closely to him for a moment. "Shh. No, I should have told you … what I am." He actually let out a tense laugh. "Why is it that I could tell you that I'm a vampire, but being the Phantom of the Opera was such a secret?"

Bella kept her face buried in his shoulder. It was easier to talk this way, with his arms supporting her and reminding her that no matter their mistakes, he was here now. She laughed weakly at his question, and asked, sadly, "Why is it that I could understand that you are a vampire, but had so much trouble with the Phantom of the Opera?"

Edward drew back slightly at her question. He wanted to see her eyes as she answered his next question. Bella drew in a swift breath when she felt his arms retracting, but she managed to calm herself when he didn't go far. "That's a good question Bella. I don't understand you at all sometimes."

There was no malice in his statement, but Bella still felt the guilt of her doubt in him. She looked away from his golden eyes, unable to meet his gaze while remembering those hours after _Il Muto_. He gently reached out and pressed her chin up so that she was looking at him again. "I've gone long enough without looking into those eyes Bella, don't hold back from me now." The tenderness in his tone was almost enough to start her crying again.

"Being a vampire," she began in a rush of words, "it's not something you have any control over. It's what you _are_. And I always knew that you weren't completely human. You've always been so much more than that. But knowing that you had killed by choice as the Opera Ghost, knowing that you had deliberately caused harm …" Her eyes darted away from the intensity of his for a moment and then returned, determined to get this out. "I thought it was different that night." She let out a humorless laugh. "So all this has really just been over the semantics of killing someone. I've been so stupid. I should have realized that it's you and it doesn't _matter._"

There was a beat of silence and then Edward's incredulous voice. "It doesn't _matter_ if I deliberately murdered someone for … what was it with Joseph Buquet? Simply stumbling upon me and seeing me in the flesh? Is that what they say?"

Bella clenched her eyes tightly as his words rushed into her mind. Her cheeks flushed. When he put it that way, it really didn't sound like something Edward would do. _Why have I been so stupid? Why didn't I give him a chance to explain?_

Bella's voice was a whisper again. "Well, it wouldn't have mattered to me. I-I lo…" But she couldn't bring herself to say it while he was still looking at her with those disbelieving eyes. "But now that you say it, I realize how ridiculous that sounds." She trailed off anticlimactically.

"Bella I-" Judging from his wide eyes, Edward had realized some of what she had almost said. Then he began again, emphatically.

"I don't want there to be anymore misunderstandings about this. I have killed people before. For a few years right after Carlisle changed me, I chose to live outside of his vegetarian method. It was … terrible. I would never go back to it." His gaze was fierce and earnest and his hands which were now on her arms had tightened. "But since then, I have never killed anyone."

Bella forcibly restrained herself from interrupting, though her thoughts were in a whirl. "Joseph Buquet," Edward continued, "was killed by Jasper, two years ago, before Alice and he left. Remember when I told you that he has had difficulties with control?"

Bella nodded, still a little dazed and with guilt boiling in her stomach. "That was the final straw. Jasper lost control completely. It took Alice and I together to restrain him from going mad through the city or the opera house." Edward looked sickened. Bella imagined the scene and felt a little ill as well. "Alice and he left immediately for somewhere less populated and I made up a story for people to find."

Before Bella could say anything, he was talking again. "That's not to say that I am completely blameless. I still feel guilty for talking Alice into visiting me here rather than going to visit her in the country. And I'll admit that at the time, I was actually glad sometimes that Jasper had done it. It certainly cemented my reputation." There was bitterness in his tone.

"Edward." Bella's voice was a desperate cry for herself and for him. She pulled herself up, standing on tiptoe, and comforted him the only way she knew how, by pressing her mouth to his.

The kiss was raw and there was a primal note to it that had been there in the cemetery as well. Bella wondered, tragically, if they would ever be able to kiss again without that edge of bitter pain. But just as she thought it, Edward proved her wrong as he softened the kiss. Their lips did little more than caress one another until Bella was welling up with tears again from the pure tenderness.

When they finally drew back, it was with much of their tension evaporated. Bella stayed pressed against him, but the need wasn't as violent anymore. The feelings were just as strong, but perhaps no longer quite as painful. She let herself melt into his embrace for several long moments.

Finally she breathed into his chest, "I want you to know that Jacob is …" She felt him tense at the mere mention of Jacob's name. "he's …" she hesitated, not sure what the right words were that would be honest and yet, would reassure him. "You're more important." _I love you_. She couldn't understand why the words were sticking in her throat.

There was silence and Bella could practically hear Edward's self-dismissing thoughts. She smoothed her hands up and down his back as if to reassure a small child. "I mean it Edward. He just … doesn't matter in comparison."

Finally Edward replied, and there was an emotional strain in his voice when he did that she had never heard before. "I cannot understand what I have ever done to deserve you, but I know that I can do nothing less than hold you to me with everything I have. I cannot let you go again, whether it is the right thing to do or not."

"It's not." She said, fiercely.

Edward chuckled and smiled at her for the first time in a very long while. She grinned back, happiness surging through her. He wasn't leaving!

Bella ruined the moment by yawning. She cursed her pathetic body, always crying out for its pitiful needs. Sleep? Now?!

Edward's smile softened. "You must be tired. It's been a long day."

Bella reflected on the afternoon's unsuccessful rehearsals and frowned in distaste. "They're murdering your opera. I don't know how you can stand it. I've only begun to read through it and I already want to scream at them all. For you …" She shuddered at the thought.

"I keep in mind that if I tolerate them, then I get to hear you." Bella blushed at his compliment.

There was a long moment as Bella tried to work up the nerve to broach the subject that she had wanted to talk to him about since she had first seen the opera. Edward was the one to break the silence. "What is it, Bella?"

His voice was gentle, even warm. She could feel his kindness stabbing at her as she thought of his opera, of the state he had been in when he wrote it. "I-I love your music. You know that I adore your music." She started. He pulled away from her enough to see her face. He looked confused, as if he had no idea where she was going with this.

"I just wanted to say that I … that I'm … that …" she gave up on tactful phrasing, "I'm so sorry for destroying our song!"

The tears were about to fall from Bella's eyes again and she attempted to bury herself back in Edward's chest, but he held her back, still looking at her. He surprised her by chuckling. It was a dark sound and lacked any real humor, but still!

It was Bella's turn to eye him with confusion. He met her eyes and explained, "Bella, this ending always made more sense anyway. _All I Ask of You_ was something I wrote in a fit of fancy. Don Juan was never destined for a happy ending."

His face looked so grim at the end of his statement that Bella was torn between hitting him for his ridiculous self-loathing and kissing away his pain. He obviously saw himself in the character of Don Juan and she hated what he thought to be his fate. Her response was fierce as she held herself back from both options. "Yes. He is."

Edward's brow furrowed at her sudden intensity. Bella continued, determined to get the words out whether they hurt her or not. "I know that I destroyed that song for you … maybe for both of us … but you can not leave Don Juan and Aminta with a tragedy because of that. How can you be here with me and still have Don Juan cast into hell at the end of the opera?"

Her brain began to catch up with her fervent mouth and she blushed. "Not that you can do anything about it now … I just don't want you to think that the ending of your opera is right. Because it's not."

Edward's eyes felt like they were piercing into her soul, like he could read everything about her. Bella's cheeks turned bright red, but she held his gaze. Something was burning in his eyes that she couldn't quite recognize.

He leaned in to her and met her lips with his own, still not dropping his gaze. Bella fought to keep her own eyes open against the sensory onslaught of his kiss, but soon gave up. It was impossible to focus on anything other than his mouth when it was pressing against hers.

He only broke the kiss when Bella was beginning to feel pained from lack of air. He pressed her to him, kissing her hair from time to time. Bella would have been happy to stay in his embrace forever, but her body betrayed her again by yawning. She frowned. Humanity was so overrated.

Edward grinned at her yawn and pulled away from her. "I think it's time for you to go to sleep."

Bella was seized by a sudden panic. "Are you leaving?" She asked, trying to calm her voice and failing.

"Do you not want me to?" His voice was gentle, but there was a fire burning behind it. She blushed again.

"Will you stay? I just …" She gave up on her pride. "I've missed you so much."

Her voice caught and Edward looked torn between pain and joy. "Then I will stay. At least until you fall asleep."

He moved toward the chair in the corner and Bella almost let him go sit down in it, but something in her stronger than her self-consciousness said, "You could lay down with me, you know."

She couldn't even begin to identify all the emotions in Edward's gaze now. "Are you sure?"

His voice was husky with feeling. "Yes." She replied, weakly.

Bella sat down on the bed and Edward followed her. Then she lay down and suddenly it all seemed like the most natural thing in the world for Edward to lie next to her, allowing her to curl against him. Bella managed to restrain a sigh of happiness. This was pure bliss.

"Good-night." His voice was a whisper, but it rung through the room with the force of the emotion behind it.

Bella was already half-asleep, easily swept away by the security of having Edward beside her. "Good-night." She murmured, and then was off to dreams full of Edward and his opera.

- - -

"James, it's simply not fair!" James lounged on a sofa in Jessica's dressing room. He regarded her with detachment. He wondered idly if she was going to stomp her foot next. She was acting like a child and had been since the moment she had called him this evening.

_Ah, Victoria, you were right. She was not worth saving after all._ Drinking her blood would certainly have been much more enjoyable than this ridiculous rant she was making him listen to. He considered simply killing her now and putting himself out of his misery, but couldn't be bothered to listen to Victoria's complaints if he did so.

Victoria had never liked Jessica, and she would be ever so irritated with him if he killed the opera star without her. "Jessica," he finally interrupted, "what exactly is the point of all this? What do you want me to do about it?" If she really was leading in to an attempt to hire him, she would fail. He wasn't fool enough to make the same mistake twice. If she had called off the hit once, then she was likely to do so again and he would not be so easily hired and fired.

Then again … he could smell the scent of that girl from where he was standing and he hadn't forgotten the fascinating other vampire who was here. The other vampire who was obviously also known as the Phantom of the Opera around here.

It was laughable really. Sure, he and Victoria had involved themselves with humans, but only as a matter of business and because it made life more simple. This other vampire though … who would willingly spend time with a human girl? It was all very interesting.

While James was considering all of this, Jessica was standing in front of him, fuming. "Well, I'm sure I don't know! You're the infamous hit man! You figure something out. Just make me the star of this opera."

James rolled his eyes, weary of her hysterics. "Why on earth do you want to star in this opera if you consider it such a travesty?" His voice was without inflection, bored. He didn't really care, but didn't have much better to do than try and understand her petty selfishness.

She looked at him as though he were an idiot. "It's going to be famous. People are coming from all over Europe to come see it already and it's only been a day since the managers announced they wanted to perform it. I don't care about the music!" She laughed as though the idea were humorous. "It's a terrible opera, but I should still be the star!"

James sighed. Why was he even still here? This was absolutely ridiculous. "Jessica, I want you to know that the actions I take from here on are entirely my own. My reasons for wanting to interfere in this opera house are …" he hesitated to tell her anything, but who would she tell? "Different from yours. In fact, I no longer care what you want, one way or the other."

He ignored her scandalized look and continued on, lazily flipping the pages of her part from _Don Juan Triumphant_. "However, I am grateful to you for telling me all of this. I have an idea for a most interesting … experiment."

He closed the part and traced the letters on the cover. Jessica looked outraged and shocked. She obviously wasn't used to being denied things. He enjoyed being the first to do so. "So I will take my leave now and you can just stay out of all of it. Learn your part." He set the music down on her side table and stood up.

"Now wait just a minute," she began, but James cut her off.

"Don't worry." He said, his voice falsely placating, "You might even be pleased with what I decide to do."

With those words, he left, plans for a drama of his own swirling in his head.

- - -

After Bella fell asleep, Edward lay in the dark for a long hour, torn in two. On the one hand, he had never felt so intensely happy as he did when watching Bella sleep curled at his side. On the other, he thought he was going to go mad if he didn't start writing down the melodies that were quickly overwhelming his brain.

He longed for a simple pen and paper, for then he could do both. Remain here and let some of the music in his mind spill out onto pages. Finally he gave up trying to hold it in and edged away from Bella's embrace. "Sorry love." He whispered, the pain of leaving her again was tangible, but this was important. "I'll be right back."

The fact that she was fast asleep and wouldn't even realize that he had left didn't make a difference to his heart, which felt like it was being ripped apart as he left her behind. He ran at his top speed back to his home, he didn't feel up to searching around for writing implements elsewhere, and felt as though he were flying the entire way.

_That conversation, those kisses, sleeping with Bella _… in the most innocent of ways, of course, but still. 'I don't want you to think that the ending of your opera is right. Because it's not.' He savored the remembered fire in her voice that had burned through those words. Whether it was true or not, whether Don Juan deserved Aminta or not, _who ever could when Aminta is so incredibly perfect?_ Edward could do nothing now except do as Bella had pleaded.

He sprinted back up the stairs with paper and ink in hand and sat down at Bella's desk. For a long moment he just stared at her, watching the way her dark curls caressed her pale cheek and the way the blankets hugged her curves.

His hand began to write music practically without direction from him.

Three hours and dozens of sheets of paper later, Edward was writing a final note. He scribbled the last line, _Yours, OG_. And then set it down on top of the pile of sheets of music.

He stepped over to Bella's bedside and kissed her forehead with a feather light brush of his lips. "I'll be right back, Bella."

He picked up the music and was off. In whole, his journey only took him a few minutes before he was back and slipping into the bed beside his Bella again. When she nestled against him after he had settled in, there were no words for how completely and utterly joyous he was. "Bella." He whispered, his breaking voice a prayer and worship to the heavenly, perfect creature in his arms.

Meanwhile, in the managers' office, there lay a note on top of a stack of music sheets.

_Dear Messieurs,  
__I would be much obliged if you would replace the current ending of my opera with these pages.  
Yours,  
OG_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer. I know that mine has been absolutely jam-packed already ... and it's only the first week. Now, I have good news and bad news. The good news is ... well, I just gave you a pretty awesome chapter with that discussion I've been hinting at for forever. The bad news, I'm leaving for a trip to Europe tomorrow where I will have zero access to the internet. I get back in about two weeks and I promise you that I will update as soon as I possibly can. Meanwhile, I hope this tides you over. If this news crushes you (I'm very sorry, but not sorry enough to cancel my trip to Paris and Italy ;-) ) then I would recommend checking out my favorites list or the Phantom of the Opera section, especially if you've been pretty Twilight fanfic only until now. There are some fabulous stories over there!

Thank you so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter and everyone who has reviewed this story. You guys inspire me to write and update with your insightful, funny, and sometimes threatening reviews. ;-) Send me a review! Did you like Edward and Bella's conversation? What do you think of the new ending? What is James's plan? Thanks for reading and send me your thoughts!

**Next Time: **Three words. Don Juan Triumphant. What that's not good enough for you?! Fine, have five more. The Point of No Return. :-)


	22. The Point of No Return

**Previously: **Bella and Edward talked things out, James made a new plan, and the opera got a new ending.

**Music Note: **Alright my first and only absolutely required piece of music that you _must _listen to before reading this chapter. _The Point of No Return._ If you have the DVD, watching that scene might be awesome as well. Oh, and there's also some music from the extended/musical soundtrack _Don Juan_. But really, I listened to the movie version of _Point of No Return_ countless times while writing this. You must go listen. Now. Oh, good you're back and ready to read? Enjoy then. :-)

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**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 21**

**The Point of No Return**

Bella stared at her face in her mirror and wondered, with a touch of panic, where on earth the last three weeks had gone. Now, sitting here in full stage makeup, her hair twisted to the side and Aminta's dress on, she was feeling utterly overwhelmed. She nervously pressed her hands to the dress, flattening the black lace of the skirt and fidgeting with the creamy white bodice.

That they had managed to throw everything together so quickly was a testament to the true talent at the opera house … and perhaps more significantly, to the power of Edward's threats. _Utterly empty threats of course_, she thought still relieved at the knowledge a month later, _but they don't know that_.

She played with a strand of hair, twisting it nervously around her finger as melodies rang through her mind. The last month had been a whirlwind of Edward and his music both constantly around her. It was like a dream world, except for the fact that her counterpart in every song in his opera was Michael instead of Edward.

Yesterday had been their only full dress rehearsal with the orchestra and Bella's eyes lit at the memory. Even Jessica and Michael who had been so skeptical of the entire concept at the outset seemed to be able to feel the magic that lay just beneath the surface of the performance. This could be something incredible and everyone involved could tell.

Bella was broken from her thoughts by a knock on her dressing room door that reminded her vividly of the last time she had been in full costume in this room and someone had come in. She sighed at the thought of Jacob. She hated to hurt him because he was just as good a friend as he always had been, but it was out of the question to be with him now. She just didn't know how to make that clear to him without explaining the whole situation. He could not take a hint.

"Come in!" She called out, afraid to disturb a single thing of her wardrobe. The costume assistants had already come and gone and left her with strict orders not to touch a single thing that they had done. She had no intention of it. It seemed to her that merely breathing on her hair would cause it to fall out of its elaborate curls and she wasn't even going to think about the sleeves of her dress, which seemed to be designed to rest scandalously off the shoulder.

Rosalie opened the door and Bella smiled after taking a second to absorb the sight of her shocking dress. She had seen it before of course, but it was still a surprise to see her friend wearing the blood red short skirt and black corset over a sheer white material. The costume department had gone absolutely insane.

Rose danced over to Bella, obviously bursting with excitement. "You look incredible. I cannot believe this is actually happening!"

Bella grinned back, infected by Rose's joy. Rose continued, "But hurry up! We're supposed to be on stage in fifteen minutes."

Bella walked her friend to the door of the dressing room. "Go on then. I'll meet you there."

"Alright." Rose turned and beamed. "Oh, Bella, I would hug you but I don't want to ruin your costume!"

They laughed and Rose took off for the stage while Bella turned back to her room. Walking back to the mirror, she realized that there was now a rose on the ground. She glanced around the room frantically, as if Edward would still be here, but he was nowhere to be found. She frowned and picked up the flower, remembering what he had said this morning when she had woken in his arms.

_I won't be able to see you before the opera starts. Don't worry though, I will, of course, be there to watch. _The whole thing didn't make any sense to her. She wanted to see Edward, wanted to kiss him once more before she performed his opera, their opera with another man.

Tied to the rose with a black silk ribbon was a note.

**You are my life. **

She traced each letter with her finger and then caressed one petal of the perfect rose. She glanced up at herself in the mirror and then smiled at the rose again. She would wear it for him. She carefully secured the rose into her intricate hairdo, arranging it so that the flower would fall just above her ear. The task was made easier by the fact that Edward had cut the thorns off the stem. Perfect.

And then she turned decisively and left the room with a thrill of nervous tension. The time had come.

When she reached the stage, she found a whirl of activity, which only increased the fluttering sensation in her stomach. Sure, she knew this music as well as she knew herself, but she was about to put Edward's heart and soul out on stage. _Her_ heart and soul. There was no option except to be nervous.

She was standing off stage because she didn't make her entrance until halfway through the first act. _And what an entrance_, she thought, nerves increasing at the thought of her first, passionate song with Michael. Rose was stretching, but had spared a moment earlier to give Bella a tight hug, regardless of their costumes.

Bella closed her eyes, trying to shut out the sounds of the crowd, to lose herself in the music. And then someone yelled out "Five minutes!" and a hush fell on the audience, as if they could tell they were in for something extraordinary.

The orchestra played the first clashing chord and suddenly Bella's heart was pounding in time to the complex rhythm. She breathed with the downbeats, emotions soaring and crashing with each fall of the baton. As if she had to _try_ to lose herself in Edward's music.

She only opened her eyes because she knew that the curtain was about to open and she had to see it. The stage burned with fire both real and painted and was crowded with people dressed just as scandalously as Rosalie. Bella watched with a fire burning inside of her as they came alive with the rise of the curtain.

From Jessica and Michael to Rosalie, they all seemed possessed by the music. They sounded flawless, as they never had in all the rehearsals they had gone through.

"Don Juan triumphs,  
Once again!"

Bella had to close her eyes, blown away by the intensity of the music, the emotion, the whole hellfire filled scene of the introduction. The stage quieted after the finish of that song and cleared of most of the characters, but Bella's heart continued to pound. How much longer until her entrance? She wanted to sing!

She watched Rosalie dance her way across the stage, blowing kisses and shaking a bag of coins. She had never pictured her friend as a prostitute, but she managed to pull it off as no one else could with her bold sashay around the stage.

And then came Don Juan's entrance, obviously having just partaken of Rosalie's alter-ego's services, from behind a curtain at the rear of the stage. Michael began to sing and Bella immediately tensed, as she always did when she heard his voice in these songs.

While Edward had helped her practice again and again through the three previous weeks, he refused absolutely to sing with her again. When she demanded to know why, he merely said, with a rather smug tone, that she already seemed tense with Michael's singing and if she experienced him singing the part that was made for him then she would never perform the opera as well.

She would have rebuffed him for being egotistical, except that it was most likely true. He had claimed, however, that after the opera was done being performed, they could sing the songs as much as she liked. When she had asked for forever, he had frowned.

The issue of forever was a contentious one between them. Bella realized that she never wanted to leave Edward's side, but he was unwilling to, according to him, damn her to an everlasting hell. The first time he had admitted this objection, Bella had laughed. _As if forever with Edward could ever be any type of hell. _

But they found themselves at an impasse. Bella, trying to ignore Michael's song, thought again of her most recent idea. She could go over Edward's head, appeal to Carlisle or Alice. He wasn't the only vampire that she knew, after all.

But then Michael's entrance was over and Bella found her attention drawn to the opera once more, even though he was still in the scene.

"Pasarino, faithful friend,  
Once again recite the plan."

While Bella had been pointedly ignoring, Michael had been explaining to the audience his desire for a young, innocent girl named Aminta, who had refused to give into his seduction. Don Juan's newest ploy was to pretend to be his servant, who lacked Don Juan's intimidating reputation.

Pasarino, played by a moderately talented man named Tyler, replied, "Your young guest believes I'm you. I the master, you the man. When you met you wore my cloak, she could not have seen your face. She believes she dines with you in her master's far off place!"

Michael took over in the recitation of his plan. "Furtively we scoff and quaff, stealing what in truth is mine, when it's late and modesty starts to mellow with the wine."

Tyler joined in again. Bella had to admit that both of them were actually pulling the scene off. They seemed like they actually were plotting to lure a girl to Don Juan's clutches. "I come home, I use your voice. Slam the door like crack of doom."

Michael's irritatingly wrong voice again. "I shall say come hide with me, where oh where? Of course my room!"

The two turned to the side of the stage, preparing for their exit and Bella took a deep breath. Aminta was about to enter. Tyler sang, "Poor thing hasn't got a chance."

Michael took off some of his costume and handed it to Tyler. "Here's my hat, my cloak, and sword, conquest is assured. If I do not forget myself and laugh." The two walked offstage, laughing together. Normally Bella disliked this part of the play, hating the Don Juan of the beginning, but now she was too lost in her own part as she wandered on the stage.

"No thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy. No dreams within her heart, but dreams of love." Bella's eyes closed involuntarily. Her voice had never sounded as crystal clear and perfect as it did when singing Edward's music.

She paced lazily to the center of the stage and took a deep breath. She was ready to sing this song, the one that had been second most difficult for her to sing with Michael. The first most difficult was _All I Ask of You _from the new ending, of course. Bella smiled dreamily at the memory of Edward changing the ending for her. Incredible. She was so lost in the thought, in fact, that she almost missed Don Juan's entrance.

"Pasarino, go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey." Bella turned her head at the whispered line. How strange! She must have truly lost herself in memory, for at that moment, Michael's voice had sounded more like Edward's dark molasses tone than his own squeakier sound.

She looked back out at the audience, shaking her head briefly to clear it of the odd moment. Her gaze caught the boxes and she noticed Jacob's awed stare down at her. She wanted to look away from him, she could tell how much emotion he felt for her when he watched her like that, and she didn't want to think about the way she was hurting him. She shifted her eyes to the man sitting next to him and frowned. The other man was in a uniform she recognized immediately as one her father had worn regularly. Paris's Chief of Police. What on earth was he doing in Jacob's box?

She got over her curiosity though in order to continue searching the audience for any sign of Edward. Or she was about to, when she heard the beginning of the next song and froze.

"You have come here  
In pursuit of your deepest urge."

In the choreography of the scene, she was supposed to face the audience for this beginning part of the song. That was a lost cause when she heard Edward's voice singing to her. She couldn't _not_ turn around. Had she gone insane, hearing voices? Or could this actually be happening?

In this scene, Don Juan was covered with a cloak, better to disguise his identity, but it didn't stop her from knowing instinctively that Michael was not on the stage.

"In pursuit of that wish  
Which 'til now has been silent. Silent."

As he spoke, he stepped steadily toward her from the back of the stage until he was close enough that she could see his face beneath the shadow of the cloak's hood. Her eyes locked on his, questions steadily disappearing in the face of his voice singing this song that he had always refused to sing for her. As he whispered the last word, he pressed a finger to his lips, appearing amused by her dazed expression.

"I have brought you  
That our passions may fuse and merge."

As he sang the first words, Edward finally touched her, using a feathery touch of a single hand on her shoulder to turn her to the audience again. Her eyes slammed shut at his touch and she could feel the flames radiating from her. But then he dropped his hand and Bella stared into the dark audience, wondering how he expected her to not watch him.

"In your mind you've already succumbed to me  
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me."

Bella realized that she wasn't breathing and gasped in air though parted lips. Edward still wasn't touching her, but she could sense him right behind her and the space between them was electric.

"Now you are here with me  
No second thoughts  
You've decided. Decided."

In the tiny part of her mind that was still functioning semi-logically, Bella wondered if he had considered the implications of his lyrics as she had. Did he really intend them to mean what they sounded like? Like an invitation for her to become a vampire, to spend forever with him? If he had, then his lyrics were absolutely true. There were no second thoughts. She had chosen to give up everything for him a while ago. It wasn't like she would be giving up anything that really mattered.

Of course, most of her mind was incapable of any rational thought beyond drawing in ragged breaths.

"Past the point of no return  
No backward glances  
Our games of make-believe are at an end."

At the first word of his chorus, Edward touched her again and she couldn't think beyond his touch. His hands skimmed down her arms and laced through her fingers so that he was holding her hands while behind her.

"Past all thought of if or when  
No use resisting  
Abandon thought and let the dream descend."

His frozen touch was making every nerve ending in her body come alive and burn. His fingers danced along her arms, but he hadn't come into any closer contact with her. She was desperate for more. She would abandon anything for him.

"What raging fire shall flood the soul?  
What rich desire unlocks its door?"

As he practically growled the first few words, Bella couldn't help it. Her knees buckled and she fell against him, only stopped from dropping to the ground by his arms, which pressed her against his chest. His next line was surprisingly tender, despite the actual lyrics.

"What sweet seduction lies before us?  
Past the point of no return  
The final threshold  
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?"

He was almost rocking her to the music, swaying with her. The tiny, logical part of her that had been lost for a while came back to the surface long enough to inform her that her part was coming up in just a moment. Her eyes snapped open, wondering how on earth anyone could expect her to sing when she could barely breath.

"Beyond the point of no return."

Edward's voice caressed her as his arms withdrew from her, stepping away. She turned to him, wide-eyed and uncertain of her ability to even speak after that experience. Their eyes met and locked. Bella was pleased to note that his breathing seemed labored as well.

And then the silence of a few seconds ended, she breathed in deeply and discovered that she had a well of strength that she had never expected as she began to sing and her voice came out perfectly clear, if a touch unsteady.

"You have brought me  
To that moment when words run dry  
To that moment when speech disappears  
Into silence. Silence."

Absolutely true, and somehow Edward's song was pouring from her lips, more pure and honest than the darkly sexual song had ever felt before.

"I have come here  
Hardly knowing the reason why  
In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining  
Defenseless and silent."

And she began to walk toward where Edward was standing, staring at her with unreadable eyes. There was too much in his gaze to even begin to decipher, but she could pick out the love and adoration, perhaps accompanied by something darker.

"Now I am here with you  
No second thoughts  
I've decided. Decided."

She didn't know if he recognized the layer of themselves behind that decision of Aminta's, but she did. And when she said that she had decided, she meant it. As she said the words, she brushed her hands up his motionless arms to his shoulders and then down his back.

She was careful of his hood, making sure not to displace it, but managed to think with that tiny sliver of logic, that everyone in the audience had surely realized that this was not the Don Juan they had met in the beginning of the opera. She couldn't be bothered to think them for long though.

"Past the point of no return  
No going back now  
Our passion play has now at last begun."

She raised one hand to Edward's face and caressed his cheek, never breaking her gaze away from his golden eyes. She was incredibly aware of the inch or so that was all that separated their bodies.

But then Edward's hands raised and pushed her shoulders away from him. It was only his direction that made her remember what she was supposed to be doing in this scene, climbing up spiral staircase. She unwillingly let her hands fall away from him and paced backward to her side of the stage to climb the stairs.

"Past all thought of right or wrong  
One final question  
How long should we two wait until we're one?"

The idea of being past Edward's definitions of right and wrong resonated particularly powerfully within her. Forget heaven or hell or whatever he believed vampires to have. Nothing could be worse than losing Edward again.

Their eyes met from across the stage and she knew that he had gotten at least some of what she saw in his song. She quickened her steps up the stairs, anxious to be next to him again.

"When will the blood begin to race?  
The sleeping bud burst into bloom.  
When will the flames at last consume us?"

Her voice hit a low, gravelly sound at the end of the phrase that she hadn't even realized she possessed. Somehow it sounded even more perfect than when her voice was clear in this song. They had both reached the bridge that connected their separate staircases now and she must have imagined it, but she could have sworn she saw Edward shudder at her final words.

And then they were singing together and their voices blended with even more perfection than usual because she was so utterly lost to the sound, the meaning, just them.

"Past the point of no return  
The final threshold  
The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn."

And they were together again in the middle of the bridge. Edward seemed as desperate to touch her as she was to touch him. He spun her around to face the audience and pressed her back against his chest. His hands seized hers and he swept both their hands along the front of her dress, one up and down her neck and the other along her stomach and dangerously close to her breasts.

"We've passed the point of no return."

Both their voices were quiet and shaky as they sang the final line of the song. Bella's eyes slipped shut again, but she forced them open, needing to see him. She turned in his arms and noticed that at some point his hood had fallen to his shoulders, revealing his face to the audience who she had forgotten.

She herself had rather fallen apart in the course of the song as well. The sleeves of her dress had dropped to hang uselessly on her arms and curls spiraled down around her face. Edward reached his hand up to brush one back and her hand followed, tracing along his skin.

His voice was a barely audible as he breathed in the tone of a prayer, "Oh Bella, I love you more than you can imagine."

She moved her hand to his, still at her temple, to deny this when she felt a sharp stab at her fingertip. Some distant part of her mind registered that there must have been some piece of a thorn still left on the rose tucked behind her ear before everything began to happen so quickly that her mere, human brain could hardly keep up.

Edward pushed her and her bleeding finger away from him with a distraught and panicked look in his eyes. She tried to catch herself against the railing of the bridge, but a sharper pain ripped through her as something tore into her skin. She fell to the floor of the bridge and looked up, uncomprehending through the sudden contrast between their perfect song and the sudden pain.

A nail glared back at her from the railing, now red with her blood, which was pouring gruesomely from her arm. Her eyes moved swiftly from the long slice into her flesh to Edward, who had staggered away from her, horrified.

And then there was someone else on the stage with them, someone who was moving so swiftly that he was a mere blur. The only thing she could register about him was that he had bright, searing red eyes.

That and his taunting, cruel voice as he said, "Well, I did want this to be dramatic."

She was too shocked by the sudden change from bliss to horror to even fight back as the vampire leaned down to her and slid his teeth into her wrist like it was butter.

She was aware of multiple things at once. People were screaming and she remembered the presence of the audience. Then there was a shattering, thunderous crash and even more screaming. And there was Edward, terribly beautiful, like an avenging angel, tearing the other vampire away from her.

And then the world became a dark blur of fiery pain.

* * *

**A/N: **What do I even say after that chapter. I loved writing this chapter. Ahh ... we're almost to the end of our little tale here and things are heating up! So, if you want another chapter soon, you better review! By the way, Europe was fabulous. My fangirl highlights were visiting Volterra and the Opera Garnier. (Don't worry, I saw all the significant historical and artistic landmarks as well. ;-) )

Tell me what you think of what may be my favorite chapter! Your reviews and avid readership are the reason I'm posting this right after getting home from more than 20 hours of flying. :-) Love you all.

**Next Time: **Variations on Point of No Return (because Bella missed a lot while so entranced by Edward ... not that one blame's her ... ;-) ) and the aftermath of the attack


	23. Down Once More

**Previously:** _Don Juan Triumphan_t premiered, Edward replaced Michael as the star and joined Bella in an unforgettable _Point of No Return_. Then they were interrupted by James who attacked and bit Bella.

**Music Note: **I've pretty much got nothing ... for the rest of the story. GASP! But here we take a definite turn from the climax of _Phantom of the Opera_. Although, we will repeat that Point of No Return scene in a couple different POVs so if you want to go listen to _Point of No Return_ once or twice or ... (well, it's one of my absolute favorites!) :-) Enjoy.

* * *

**The Music of the Night**

**Chapter 22**

**Down Once More**

Jacob had watched enough of the rehearsals to know that he was going to dislike this opera, and would dislike it even if the man he loathed beyond all others hadn't written it. And for the woman that Jacob loved and that monster claimed to love, no less.

From the first, blaring note, Jacob knew that he had been correct. He was not a huge fan of music in general. It was pleasant enough and sounded pretty, even if he couldn't understand the attraction Bella had to it.

This music, however, was not pleasant and did not sound pretty. It was discordant, harsh, and unfamiliar. He grimaced in distaste, wishing he could cover his ears from the noise without ruining his noble appearance. He just hoped that they could find and capture Edward quickly so that they could end this farce.

Perhaps they could do it before Bella even came on the stage! He gave a genuine smile at the thought and began looking around, searching through the crowd for a man he had only seen once before and in the shadows. When all he saw was a huge number of well-dressed people staring up at the stage in shock and fascination, he suddenly began doubting his absolute plan.

What if Edward didn't do anything dramatic? What if they went through this whole opera, if Bella went through this whole opera, without even catching a glimpse of the man? He frowned, alarmed by the new thought.

He searched out Quin and Embré in their box across the way from his own. He couldn't catch their eyes though; they seemed as engrossed by the spectacle on stage as the rest of the audience. It was probably a good thing that he couldn't manage to get their attention, though. He had no idea what he would signal to them if they had noticed him.

He looked over at the police chief next to him and was calmed by the reassuringly menacing gun in the man's holster and his official looking uniform. Everything would work out. It just had to.

Then he was happily distracted from his thoughts by Bella's voice on stage. He actually smiled. She managed to make even this travesty of a production sound lovely. He frowned at her costume though. He had seen it on the hanger, but he hadn't been able to come to the dress rehearsal yesterday and had never actually seen the dress on her.

What had seemed mildly indecent on the hanger was devastatingly, scandalously attractive on her. And yet somehow it still maintained an appearance of innocence. The black lace was the only darker compliment to the virginal white dress with its puff sleeves that had already slid down from her shoulders twice in the few moments she had been on stage.

He stifled a groan with difficulty. But then he found himself completely distracted by the vision of Bella by an unfamiliar voice from offstage.

"Pasarino, go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey"

Jacob knew enough about this opera to know that the line was supposed to be spoken by Michael and he knew enough about Michael's voice to know that the darker, more smoothly perfect voice was not his.

_What?_ Jacob leaned over the edge of his box to get a better view of the stage. Perhaps he had just imagined the different voice. Perhaps he was hearing things.

But the figure that came onto the stage now seemed taller than Michael, perhaps more lean, even though it was hard to tell under the cloak. And what little Jacob could see of the stranger's shadowed face did not look familiar.

And then he began to sing and Jacob, along with the rest of the audience, was no longer in doubt about whether or not this figure was Michael. It was uncertain if the flawless voice pouring from under the hood was even human. There were gasps from the crowd, whether over the switched male star or said new male star's voice, it was unclear. Jacob couldn't pay them much attention though; he was absorbed by the look on Bella's face. She seemed … blissful.

Jacob shot a quick glance over to the managers, but they were once again paying no attention whatsoever. He looked back at the stage only to watch the man playing Michael's part touch Bella. And the song went on and Bella fell back into his arms.

Instantly, there was no doubt in his mind about the imposter's identity. Edward. Bella's Angel of Music had slipped past every defense they had put up against him by being bolder than they had ever imagined he would be.

Agitated, Jacob turned to the Chief of Police next to him and said, "Monsieur Banner I …" But then he was frozen in his tracks by the sound on stage. Bella had begun to sing.

"You have brought me  
To that moment when words run dry  
To that moment when speech disappears  
Into silence. Silence."

He watched, transfixed by horror as Bella turned toward the monster, walked to him, sang to him, touched him of her own accord. A strange burning sensation began in his eyes and he raised a finger to touch the corner of his eye only to have it come away damp. He stared at his fingertip, unable to watch what was happening on stage.

Some part of Bella wanted the monster's touch, wanted to sing this achingly dark, seductive, beautiful song with him.

He couldn't have spoken up to Chief Banner if he had tried. Instead he waved a hand at the man, making sure that he didn't call the guards just yet. Some masochistic part of him had to watch the rest of this song.

The end of the song was a blur of heart-wrenching jealousy. Until the very last, that is. He watched every moment of their embrace on the top of that bridge, could see from the vantage point of his box every detail of their faces, Bella seemingly oblivious to everything except Edward.

He saw everything, that is, until a flurry of action had him shocked and lost. Something happened between them and Edward pushed Bella away. Bella lost her footing, fell to the floor of the bridge and cut her arm in the process. Jacob leapt to his feet even as he watched Edward back away. Chief Banner sounded overwhelmed as he asked, weakly, "Monsieur?"

Jacob never got a chance to answer because at that moment, a third person appeared on the stage. Jacob's eyes widened. Where in hell had he come from? It was as if he had blinked and missed something because the third man was leaning over Bella. Jacob's voice was filled with outrage. "Well, do something man!" He cried to the exceedingly lost Banner.

Jacob's eyes stayed trained on the stage, but his preoccupation with what was going on with Bella made him miss what Edward was doing. It was impossible to miss the swishing, unraveling, creaking sound of what came next though. Jake turned almost involuntarily to follow the noise and his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched the chandelier sway once and then begin an almost graceful sweep just over the heads of the orchestra to crash against the edge of the stage.

The deafening noise made Jacob want to cover his ears, but he was far too invested in the action to take away any of his senses. He watched with horror as the candles that had once hung elegantly overhead in a spectacle of gold and crystal now fell to the floor of the stage, where their flames licked at the wooden ground.

Banner seemed to have put 2 and 2 together, finally. "My god. The opera house is going to catch fire." Well, at least he had realized something.

When Jake finally managed to look away from that disastrous spectacle, Bella, Edward, and the third man were all gone.

Jacob whirled around to find Chief Banner sitting back down in his seat. "Sorry Monsieur but I'm just not sure …" Jake didn't have time for this.

There was only one person who could tell him anything about this disaster, only one person who could help him save Bella, even from herself. He broke into a run, determined to find Madame Esme Hale.

- - -

_You know, _Esme thought with a beam, _this might be the proudest moment of my life._ In tonight's opera, her biological daughter was the star ballerina, the girl she thought of as a daughter was the female lead, and the man she thought of as her son had written the whole thing.

While under other circumstances this may not have been her first choice of opera, she couldn't help but love everything about it because of who had created it. Rose looked lovelier than ever, Bella's voice was clear and flawless, and Edward's music was ingenious.

She was watching the whole thing from the side of the stage, where she not only could see the actors on stage, but also had a prime view of Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper who were all sitting in one of the first rows of the audience. She caught Carlisle's eye for the hundredth time tonight and grinned broadly. She was just so proud of all of them!

And then it was time for Bella's big entrance and Esme paid rapt attention, ready to be enthralled by her daughter's voice even if she had to pretend not to know what the song was about in order not to embarrass them all. There were some things a mother didn't really want to know about her children.

Oddly enough, her first thought when she heard the distinctly Not-Michael voice was that she had never actually heard Edward sing before and she was quite looking forward to the experience. Then, of course, she thought the logical things. What on earth was Edward thinking to show up like this? Though Bella had managed to remain oblivious to the managers' plans to catch the Phantom of the Opera, Edward certainly hadn't.

On the other hand … how adorable of them!

After a few bars of the song, adorable was no longer quite the word Esme would use to describe her children, but she couldn't look away, even if perhaps it would be the better thing for a mother to do. They were just so beautiful together on the stage.

She watched them, as transfixed as the rest of the audience. And then the song was over and they were holding one another in the center of the bridge. Esme shifted impatiently, craning for a better view. As she did so, she had a clear view of Rosalie, watching fascinated from the other side of the stage, but still couldn't quite see Edward and Bella.

Until, that is, Bella fell. Then, Esme could suddenly see her clearly, could see the man who leaped onto her clearly. Most importantly, she could see his eyes, which were a vivid red, and his mouth as it latched onto her wrist.

_No! _The word wouldn't come out of her throat, which seemed blocked by the sudden shock of it all. She took a single, faltering step toward them, although she had no idea what she intended to do, when she saw others race in who could actually help.

She almost missed the falling chandelier until it crashed deafeningly right beside her because she was so horrified by what was happening to Bella right in front of her eyes. But then Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper were on the stage with Edward. She watched the blurs that were her adopted family as Alice and Jasper seized the man who had bitten Bella and ripped him away from her. Meanwhile, Edward seemed to have overcome his attraction to Bella's blood in the face of the disaster at hand.

She watched him lift Bella up in his arms, cradling her to his chest. For a single, heart-rending moment, Esme met his eyes from across the stage and saw the half-mad, tortured look there. _Edward!_

And then he and Carlisle jumped down from the bridge and Edward did something that, Esme assumed since she hadn't actually been able to tell, opened a trap door. They were gone.

Esme panicked at having lost sight of them and turned, running backstage. She knew ways to get down to Edward's home and she was prepared to use them in this desperate circumstance.

Pandemonium raged backstage. At the center of the chaos was Jessica bent over Michael, who was stirring weakly. Esme couldn't spare a thought for what exactly Edward had done to him so that he could take his place.

She pressed her way through the crowd when she was interrupted by a panicky voice. "Mom! Mom!" She wouldn't have stopped, but Rose seized her shoulder and she was forced to turn toward her daughter and Emmett, who stood beside her.

"Where are they?" The panting, shaky voice was nothing like her normal daughter.

Esme could still only spare them a moment. "I don't know, I'm going to try and find them. Everything is going to be okay. Bella's going to be okay. She has to be."

And then Esme was off again, down to Edward's home. But Rose wasn't about to be so easily dissuaded. "I'll come with you!" She insisted, running alongside her mother.

"No, Rose, no. You stay here. Stay safe." Something in her emphatic tone must have gotten across to her scared daughter, or perhaps it was Emmett's restraining arm. She didn't really care what got the message across as long as Rose didn't try and follow her.

And she was off again, through the twisting passageways to Edward's home and to Bella.

- - -

Of course, Edward had known about Jacob's plan practically from the moment that he had first come up with it. After all, people had a bad habit of not knowing that they had to hide their thoughts as well as their words in his opera house.

The plan of taking Michael's place had come to his mind rather too quickly for his more noble side to be completely satisfied. He wasn't going to lie to himself, from the first moment he had conceived of this opera, it had always been himself and Bella in the main roles. And he loathed watching her sing his songs with that boy.

Not to mention, the idea of Jacob's face when he realized who was on stage with Bella would be very satisfying.

Exactly. Not at all pleasing his noble side, the side that realized that all these concerns were petty if not rather cruel.

But still, over the three weeks of rehearsals, he had managed to convince himself that it was not only the best idea on all fronts, but really the only thing to do. It hadn't taken much convincing.

He did have a back-up plan, just in case. If Jacob called the police in the middle of the opera, pointing out Edward, he would simply disappear through a convenient trap door, one of many on the stage of the Opera Populaire. _But if I pull this off, no one will be thinking about calling the police._ He knew exactly when he would enter in order to provide the most enthralling scene and prevent anyone from calling the guards who would be surrounding them.

And now, as he tapped Michael on the head just hard enough to knock him out and took his cloak, he felt a tad guilty for orchestrating the whole situation to fit what he had always wanted to do. He had one moment of doubt in himself, whether this was actually the best idea or if he had just convinced himself that it was, before he heard Bella sing her first line and every doubt vanished. Of course it was right for him to sing his opera with her.

There were no words for the song that followed. Nothing could describe the experience of knowing that Bella was giving herself to him as thoroughly as he had given himself to her. He heard the double meaning in her words, the same implication that she had been pressing upon him over the past few weeks. The idea of becoming a vampire.

And at the top of the bridge, holding the love of his existence pressed against him, her heat burning him alive, he was absolutely convinced, willing to do anything she wanted if he could just stay like this forever.

In hindsight, to lose himself to the music and Bella so thoroughly was complete idiocy. At the time, there was no other option.

For him, things seemed to slow down after Bella cut her finger on his rose. Everything moved in slow motion as he pushed her away from him, not trusting his unrestrained body to resist the scent of her blood. And then the realization that he had pushed too hard, that she was falling and he didn't dare catch her because everyone was watching and it was too late anyway.

And then there was blood everywhere and the heavenly aroma of it was thick in the air. Edward stopped breathing and fought himself to step back, to turn away. Which, of course, ended up being the worst possible thing he could have done.

The other vampire dropped from the scenery above. Edward's eyes were wide with horror as he heard the screams of the audience, and then heard Bella's scream and everything else lost focus.

He was almost unaware of his own action. With one movement he leapt to create a distraction, shield the stage from prying eyes, by ripping the rope that held up the chandelier. With another, a millisecond later, he was hurtling toward the other vampire.

But Alice and Jasper beat him there. He was barely able to register Alice's comment in his head. _We'll take care of him. You help Bella!_

As if she needed to tell him that. He bent to Bella's side and lifted her into his arms. Despite the proximity of her flowing blood, the danger her life was in meant that her blood had never smelled less appetizing.

Carlisle's mind was there to help him find logic amidst the insanity and panic. _We need to get her to your home. We can't stay here. People aren't going to be put off by the chandelier for long._

Edward nodded and leapt down from the bridge, Bella still in his arms. Her eyes were shut, but her heart was beating. He had never heard a more reassuring sound. In less than a second, Edward had opened the trap door beneath both of them and they were running, Carlisle following him.

It was a matter of minutes before they were down at his home, coming around back so that they didn't have to cross the lake.

Edward laid Bella down on the bed she had slept on that night more than a month ago. _Oh god, Bella, you have to make it through this. I can't even imagine … _He couldn't think about the possibility of Bella dying or he was going to fall apart. He already was falling apart.

"Carlisle! You have to help her!" He didn't even recognize his own voice, the terror giving it a completely different tone than usual.

Carlisle's grim expression was horrifying. "I'll do everything I can, but Edward …" Edward knew the implied ending. It could come to her death or … something that might be even worse. The near agreement on the subject between them that had been underlying every word of their song abruptly vanished in the face of this crisis.

Not like this! He couldn't rip her away from her humanity so suddenly! Not yet and not now!

He hovered by the edge of the bed, torturing himself with his own thoughts and what ifs. How could he have been so distracted that he hadn't registered the other vampire? How could he have let Bella be harmed right in front of him? Carlisle fluttered around Bella, trying to stem the flow of blood from her arm while simultaneously setting her leg, which had apparently broken when the other vampire had fallen onto her.

Edward wished he could be helpful, but knew that he would be more of a hindrance to Carlisle at this moment. Instead he knelt down by Bella's head and brushed her hair away from her brow. He was amazed to note that it had only been a matter of minutes since the attack, something he realized as soon as he became concerned about Bella's lack of consciousness.

All his senses were on heightened alert after the attack, so he knew the moment that Esme came within range of his ability to hear her thoughts. He didn't listen for long though, unable to hear her panic as well as his own. But before he completely turned off the extra perception, he noticed someone else, further away than Esme, but closer than any of the people carrying on in the opera house.

_I could have sworn she went this way, but it's insane! This is some sort of secret passage. My god, I was right. She is in on everything and …_ Edward couldn't stand listening to Jacob anymore. What terrible timing the boy had!

His eyes darted back to Bella's face and he caressed her cheek gently, before standing again. Carlisle was bandaging Bella's head, looking extremely focused. As much as he hated to interrupt, Edward wanted to give him some warning.

"Esme is on her way. And she brought a guest that she doesn't know about." His voice was still too fast, betraying his fear.

Only half of Carlisle's mind was paying attention. _Of course she is. Who is the guest? _The other half was still absorbed with Bella. _That should do it, but there's something else … why isn't she awake? It must just be the shock …_

Edward took a deep breath, forcing himself to fight back the spasm of fear that shot through him at Carlisle's doubts. Bella had to be okay. There was no other option.

"Jacob. The Vicomte." Edward said, grimly. Ordinarily, he would simply go frighten him off, but at this moment, he couldn't imagine leaving Bella's side. "Why couldn't Esme have been more careful?!"

The question was ridiculous of course. Esme was worried about Bella. It was completely logical that she would not take every security precaution. He certainly hadn't taken _any_ security precautions tonight.

Carlisle ignored his question, ever the patient and understanding father. "I don't know what to tell you, Edward. Perhaps he won't make it down here. It is quite a maze."

Edward gritted his teeth and brushed his fingers along Bella's cheek to her hair. The rose was still secured in her curls. That horrible rose. He pulled it away furiously and dropped it on a nearby table. _What have I done?_

At that moment, Esme burst into the room. "Edward, Carlisle! Is Bella alright? Are Alice and Jasper with the other vampire? Oh Bella!"

She rushed over to the bed along with them and placed a hand on Bella's shoulder. "How is she?" She asked again, panicked.

Carlisle answered, "She's going to be just fine, as far as I can tell. Just a broken leg, a clean break that should heal fine, and the cut in the arm which is bleeding worse than it actually is."

Esme blinked at him blankly, but Edward barely heard her swirl of thoughts because he was paying attention to those behind her. "Esme, Jacob followed you." He said, his voice accusatory.

"But, Bella …" Esme hadn't registered his words. Not that it mattered anymore, because at that moment Jacob burst into the room.

"Let her go!" Jake cried and with the same motion, laid his hand on his sword.

Edward was kept from being amused at the human's desperate grasp by a stir from Bella under his hand. He turned to her, eager to see her alert again.

Her eyes snapped open, but they weren't truly alert. More like they were clouded with pain. "Edward …" she whispered hoarsely, "Edward, it burns!"

"I know love, I know." He reassured, his own pain echoing hers. "Carlisle is bandaging your arm and he's setting your leg."

"No!" She cried, her voice gaining strength. "My hand burns!"

"Hand?" Edward's question was quizzical for a moment before Esme's thoughts and voice made him turn to her.

She spoke in a soft, grim whisper. "Edward, he bit her."

* * *

**A/N:** So I have to start by saying, I am SO sorry for how long this took to get up here. I am having an absolutely insane (although very amazing) summer. Unfortunately, it isn't leaving much time for my online and writing life ;-) Next, and more importantly, I have to say that I was totally blown away by the response to the last chapter. You guys are amazing and your compliments make me so happy ... I can't even describe it. Although I will say that I'm kind of scared that I left this chapter at a cliff-hanger as well ... ;-)

Now the last thing I have to say is that there is only one real chapter left after this and then an epilogue. It's actually freaking me out because it's a very rare thing for me to actually finish something like this. I usually have too many plot bunnies jumping around in my head to finish one all the way through. It's a testament to your constant support (and the awesome power of the _Phantom_ soundtrack) that we are very close to the end. It's going to be a sad good-bye ... but not quite yet!

Tell me what you think! Your comments are the reason I squeeze in time to post in between summer camps and vacations and summer homework. Love you all and thank you so much for reading.

**Next Time: **The Grand Finale. :-)


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